WINTER HARBOR—According to a letter from State Senator Jill Goldthwait to a number of parties interested in the Winter Harbor Navy Base, the Navy "wants the town to have the housing."

During a trip to Washington two weeks ago to attend a fisheries meeting, Goldthwait, I-Hancock County, met with Maine’s Republican Senator Olympia Snowe, Admiral Mike Shelton and Carl Lowery from the office of the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy to talk about the impending base closure.

She said Saturday that, in an effort to anticipate the possibility of another military use of the facility, she had asked Shelton to let her know if the military’s search for another use is genuine or a pro forma exercise.

Although she didn’t get a firm answer, she said he will try to let her know as soon as possible when the final word on the Navy’s continued use of the base is available.

In an effort to stay ahead of all possible developments, Gold-thwait spoke with Snowe and some staff members. They discussed a variety of closure procedures and the potential effects on the Schoodic region.

A traditional closure procedure, known in the Department of Defense as Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) would send money from the department to the former base community. Under BRAC a local authority, be it a town or consortium of towns, can receive former base facilities for almost nothing if there is a project or need identified. Without a BRAC procedure the federal General Services Administration is charged with selling the federal property to the highest bidder in what is reported to be a lengthy process. The Winter Harbor base doesn’t naturally fall under BRAC because of timing and size. According to the Department of Defense, the BRAC procedure must come through an official round of base closures which hasn’t happened since 1990. On top of that, in order to qualify for a BRAC procedure during a round of base closures, a base must have more than 300 civilian employees. Winter Harbor falls short.

Goldthwait said Snowe offered to clarify the specifics of the BRAC process and to explore the possibility of drafting special legislation directing the Department of Defense to apply a BRAC process to the Winter Harbor base.

Snow also directed one of her staff members to look specifically at the plight of the Winter Harbor Water District which stands to lose as much as a third of its customers if Navy housing in the town is left empty.

Goldthwait’s meeting with Shelton confirmed that there is no chance of getting financial assistance from the Navy unless there is a BRAC process. Since that process doesn’t apply to Winter Harbor, Shelton repeated that special legislation will be necessary.

Goldthwait noted that a special legislation could be worded so that the Winter Harbor base closure would be treated as a BRAC closure. She cautioned that before such a legislation is enacted "we must be sure this route would accomplish what we want."

On top of that, she said, Lowery cautioned her that to pursue BRAC coverage might cause problems. He did tell her the Navy would give the town the housing and promised to send copies of sample special legislation that would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to transfer the housing out of federal ownership.

Goldthwait’s information adds to the growing list of possibilities facing the Schoodic Peninsula.

Earlier this month Jim Hicks, a base closure consultant from RKG Associates of Durham, N.H., told a meeting of the Schoodic Area Futures Committee that the region should look carefully at Navy facilities and try to get only what makes sense. He stressed that in some cases it might be best to let some of the facilities be sold into the private sector by the federal government.

Cynthia Thayer, chairperson of Schoodic Futures said Tuesday that Goldthwait’s report was welcome but she still has questions. She said it was helpful to have the concept of special legislation confirmed as the best way to proceed. "We’re really glad people in Washington are saying that’s a good idea," she said. "What will be a big job is seeing what that legislation should be."

Although the committee hasn’t had a lot of time to digest the new information, she said, it will be included in the nascent planning process. She said the committee is in the process of choosing a consultant to do an initial study of the region and the possible paths to take when the base closes.

She said she would like to see all the Navy facilities considered together with the idea that an employer could come into one section and employees would fill the housing. "I can’t imagine what the town of Winter Harbor would do with 84 empty houses," she said.

Winter Harbor selectmen said they haven’t discussed Goldthwait’s letter yet.

There will be an update on the base closure at the Schoodic Futures April 2 meeting at 7:30 a.m. at the Prospect Harbor Methodist Church. At that time there will also be presentations of a plan for a retirement community on base property, and a proposal from RKG Associates for a planning procedure leading up to the base closure.

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