The begining of the end for Nordic Aquafarms?

[Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Belfast, Maine] Last night, the Belfast City Council voted 4-1 to vacate its August 12, 2021 condemnation order favoring Nordic Aquafarms. By doing so, the councilors reversed their decision to use eminent domain and take the intertidal land of Jeffrey Mabee and Judith Grace. That land remains under the conservation easement established between Mabee and Grace and the Friends of Harriet L. Hartley Conservation Area (HLH).

Last night’s vote is a body blow to the fish-raising factory proposed by Nordic Aquafarms. Nordic needed access to the intertidal lands of Mabee and Grace for the intake and discharge pipes to its facility. No intertidal land; no pipelines. No pipelines; no plant.

Before the vote, councilors heard presentations from city attorney Kristin Collins, HLH attorney Kim Ervin Tucker, and surveyor Don Richards. The council chamber was packed with onlookers, many of whom spoke in favor of vacating the condemnation order before a vote was taken. Although only councilors have a vote, Mayor Eric Sanders stated he was in favor of vacating the 2021 eminent domain action. Councilors Bitely, Bonneville, Dean, and Harkness voted in favor of the order to vacate. Councilor Mortier was the only dissenting voice.

The city attorney must draw up the order to vacate. The “ripple effect” of last night’s vote includes a series of actions and declarations that are needed to fully implement the council’s decision. Fortunately, HLH attorney Tucker prepared a proposed draft order covering all of the necessary points and delivered it to the Council at its April 2, 2024 meeting. [Copies of attorney Tucker’s proposal are available on request.]

We will continue to track the results of the Council’s decision, and we thank them for reversing their 2021 condemnation order. This is a major step in healing the divisions within our community that opened up after Nordic announced its plans in January 2018.