Search Results

TOWN GOVERNMENT >> TOWN OFFICE & DEPARTMENTS >> TRASH DISPOSAL TRASH DISPOSAL Household trash is picked up roadside every Thursday, by Harris Downeast Disposal. They can be reached at (207) 584-3030. Please have your trash curbside by 8am Thursday morning. Note that during the summer season, when many more people are in town, don’t be alarmed if your trash is not picked up until the late afternoon. Trash must be placed in a closed garbage bag with a Sorrento trash sticker prominently displayed . To protect the trash collectors, bags are limited to 40 pounds each. From May through October, bags must be placed inside of garbage cans with lids. Please refrain from putting trash out the night before, as animals can easily tear apart a bag. If your bag is torn apart and debris scattered, it is YOUR responsibility to pick it up. Garbage is always picked up on the scheduled day even if it falls on a holiday. Trash stickers can be purchased at Town Office on Pomola Avenue during regular office hours The Dunbar Store, 1983 US-1, Sullivan, ME Nautilus Marine Hardware, 2317 US-1, Sullivan, ME

TOWN GOVERNMENT >> MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT >>SELECT BOARD MEETING 2022 2022 01-05 Select Board Meeting.docx.pdf 2022 01-19 Select Board Meeting.docx.pdf 2022 02-02 Select Board Meeting-Amended.docx.pdf 2022 02-16 Select Board Meeting-Amended.docx.pdf 2022 03-02-22 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 03-16-22 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 04-20-22 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 05-04-2022 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 05-18-2022 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 06-01-2022 Select Board Meeting -AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 06-15-2022 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 7-06-2022 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 7-27 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 8-10 Select Board Meeting.docx.pdf 2022 8-17 Select Board Meeting AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 8-24 Select Board Meeting SPECIAL-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 8-31 Select Board Meeting- SPECIAL WARRANT-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 9-07 Select Board Meeting AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 9-21 Select Board Meeting.docx.pdf 2022 10-05 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 10-19 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 11-02 Select Board Meeting AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 11-16 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 12-07 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf 2022 12-21 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.docx.pdf

RECREATION & FACILITIES Community Building Golf Course Outdoor Recreation Downeast Family YMCA Hunting & Fishing Parks, Playgrounds & Gardens

RECREATION & FACILITIES >> PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, & GARDENS Parks, Playgrounds & Gardens Sorrento Village Green Located south of Ocean Avenue and along the Sorrento Harbor, the small Sorrento Village Green provides an expansive view of Mount Desert Island and Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. The nearby rocky beach epitomizes the Maine coastline. An Application for use of the Town Green should be filled out and returned to the Town Office. The Pollinator Meadow Project Sorrento gardening residents volunteered to create the Pollinator Meadow Project in the Spring of 2023, to create and support habitat for butterflies, bees, birds and beings who love plants. The goal is to establish a biodiverse habitat for pollinators, composed primarily of native plants, while increasing our community’s beauty and contributing to planetary wellbeing. Some of the plants are food required for a species’ survival (as in the case Milkweed for the Monarch Butterfly). The PM relies completely on volunteer labor and donations for soil, seeds, plants and tools. Located at the sculpture near the Town Office, work will resume when the ground unfreezes. We will distribute starter seeds or look to volunteers to plant what they like, as long as the species are not invasive. It will make for a very interesting meadow! We are an informal group of about a dozen hardy souls. Please join us! Contact: Co-Leaders Gianna Settin, reikidancer@gmail.com or Ted Preuss, ted@gallery312.com If you would like to donate to this project, please send a check to: Town of Sorrento 79 Pomola Avenue Sorrento, ME 04677 (Please write “Pollinator Meadow” in the memo) Contributions are 100% tax deductible! A basketball court is behind the Town Office building on Pomola Avenue The Sorrento Sullivan Recreation Center community-funded playground and skate park is open to all. 1776 US-1, Sullivan, ME 04664 https://www.ssreccenter.com/playground/

OUR TOWN & RESOURCES >> CHURCHES Church of the Redeemer, Sorrento Sunday Worship Services — 10 AM (July & August) We welcome you, wherever you find yourself on your journey of faith, to join us! 60 Bayview Avenue, Sorrento between the tennis courts and Mt. Desert Avenue Services; Sundays 10am, July and August Tuesdays 9-10am: book group in rectory living room (details TBD) July, 2024 minister: the Rev. Benjamin Maas August, 2024 minister: the Rev. Matthew Hanisian Join our Redeemer information sharing list or request information for a special service. Send your names and emails to: Celi Putnam, chair cbputnam@gmail.com Claire Chafee Bahamon, secretary ccbaha1@gmail.com Harriet Smith, treasurer harrietfsmith10@gmail.com Contacts for other church committees: Christine Wellman, chair of rectory committee ctwellman@verizon.net Peter Seterdahl, chair of building committee petersederdahl@gmail.com Sally Wise, landscaping committee sallyw160@gmail.com Peter Hunt, memorial garden peterhunt038@gmail.com Sorrento Community Church The Sorrento Community Church The historic Sorrento Community Church is a simple single-room place of worship located on East Side Road in Sorrento. It remains open to the public due the care of generous volunteers and community members. The church has been painted, new shingles put on and the whole interior repainted. Christmas parties for the whole town take place each year. Regular services were held there as well as a children's church for a few years. When Waukeag Point was still part of the Town of Sullivan, the church was known as the Sullivan Point Union Meeting House. It had been in existence since at least 1859, when a record indicating Lyman M. Bragdon et al as the Building Committee deeded a pew to John White and Jonathan White in November of that year. There are some references to it as the Union Church of that area during that time. Years later, W.H. Lawrence began developing the area and purchased the original pews from the church in 1895, as it had fallen out of use. In the 1930s, the community raised funds to bring the church back into use, and it was renovated in 1935. Through 1946 at least, it hosted a regular congregation numbering anywhere from 15 to 55 people and had an active Sunday School. Upkeep and maintenance were done entirely by the community. Membership waxed and waned, and it was used by the United Methodist Church in the 1950s and 1960s. It was during this time that Rev. Margaret Henrichsen was assigned to the area by the Methodists and the Community Church was among her circuit of Sunday stops she highlighted in her book Seven Steeples. The Hale family had long been involved with the church, with Lillian Hale spearheading the revival effort in the 1930s. In the 1980s another reclamation effort was made thanks to a generous donation from a local family, and Michael Parker was hired to restore the interior. From Lelia Clark Johnson’s book Sullivan and Sorrento since 1760, we know the builders of the church to be: Benjamin Preble, b.1798 Lyman Bragdon, 1811-1901 Oliver Bragdon, 1826-1919 Newell Bragdon, 1817-1891 Fabins Downing, 1793-1884 Richard Downing Samuels Ingalls (deacon), 1800- Willard Hall, 1821- Jonathan White, 1821- John Stover, 1825- Asa White, 1800- Nathan White, 1806- The Census of 1860 has the above men and their families in the same 3 pages, living nearby, so it makes sense that it would have been built in the late 1850s. Lydia (Arey) Bragdon, wife of Oliver, donated a handsome Bible for use in the church, which was rediscovered by community members in the building. Johnson’s book also mentions that a hymnal was dedicated to the Sorrento Community Church in honor of its builders and old resident families. First Families of Waukeag Neck (Sorrento): Benjamin Ash, James Bean, John Bean, Ebenezer Bragdon, Joseph Bragdon, Richard Downing, Samuels Ingalls, William Ingalls, Moses Bragdon, John Hammond, John Preble, Nathanial Preble, Samuel Preble, Daniel Sullivan, Jabez Simpson, John Urann, John White, Benjamin Welch. “They rest their labors, but their works do follow them.”

2025 1-2 Planning Board Meeting Minutes 2025 2-6 Planning Board Meeting Minutes 2025 4-3 Planning Board Meeting Minutes 2025 6-5 Planning Board Meeting Minutes 2025 7-10 Planning Board Meeting Minutes 2025 8-7 Planning Board Meeting Minutes 2025 9-4 Planning Board Meeting Minutes 2025 10-2 Planning Board Meeting Minutes 2025 11-6 Planning Board Meeting Minutes

TOWN GOVERNMENT >> TOWN OFFICE & DEPARTMENTS >> ANIMAL CONTROL Animal Control Animal Control Officer : Pepper Mitchell (207) 664-3261 animal.control@sorrentomaine.org The animal control officer is responsible for handling Domestic animal complaints and issues. They enforce the Animal Control Laws of the State of Maine and the Town of Sorrento Animal Control Ordinance. They will respond to complaints about loose or stray domestic animals, and will deliver captured animals to the animal shelter (Small Animal Clinic, 9 Toothaker Lane, Ellsworth 207-667-2341). Dog Licenses See Town Clerk under Town Office & Departments https://apps1.web.maine.gov/online/dog_license/faq.html Lost & Found Pets See Lost & Found under Our Town & Resources Wild Animals: For issues with wild animals, please read the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife information provided at this link to determine what you should do. https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/avoid-resolve-conflict/index.html

2023 1-5 Sorrento Planning Board Minutes.docx.pdf 2023 2-2 Sorrento Planning Board Minutes.docx.pdf 2023 4-6 Sorrento Planning Board Minutes.docx.pdf 2023 5-4 Sorrento Planning Board Minutes.docx.pdf 2023 6-22 Sorrento Planning Board Minutes.docx.pdf 2023 7-6 Sorrento Planning Board Minutes.docx.pdf 2023 8-3 Sorrento Planning Board Minutes.docx.pdf 2023 9-7 Sorrento Planning Board Minutes.docx.pdf 2023 10-5 Sorrento Planning Board Minutes.docx.pdf 2023 11-2 Sorrento Planning Board Minutes.docx.pdf

TOWN GOVERNMENT Boards & Committees Town Records Town Office & Departments Property Taxes Municipal Government

2025 Comprehensive Plan 2025 Sorrento Comprehensive Plan Revised Draft of Plan has been submitted to State The Sorrento Comprehensive Plan Committee worked with the Hancock County Planning Commission to complete another round of revisions on the draft Comprehensive Plan. Following the public meeting held on February 18, the committee reviewed feedback from the community survey and incorporated that input into updates to the Future Land Use chapter. The revised chapter has been resubmitted to the State of Maine for review along with materials that were not included in the original draft. The State is taking public comments until May 22 as it reviews the updated materials and determines whether the plan is complete and consistent with Maine’s Growth Management requirements. See Public Notice for details. Following the State’s consistency determination, the Town will proceed with the final local steps in the adoption process. This will include a public hearing and, ultimately, a town vote to consider adoption of the plan. Dates and times for these meetings will be announced once the State’s review is complete. Revised Future Land Use Materials Public Notice of review from the State Amended Future Land Use Chapter Memorandum Summarizing Changes to the Future Land Use Chapter Memorandum Summarizing Changes Based on State Feedback Revised Plan and State Consistency Determination Process After a draft Comprehensive Plan is submitted to the State, the Municipal Planning Assistance Program conducts a formal review to determine whether the plan is complete and consistent with statutory requirements. As part of this process, the State issues a written consistency memo. The memo linked below represents Sorrento’s initial consistency review. Pages 2–3 identify required elements that were missing or did not meet State standards. These items must be addressed before the plan can be found complete and consistent. The remainder of the memo includes comments and suggestions from State agencies. These are advisory and not required for approval. It is not uncommon for plans to receive an initial finding of inconsistency. The State review is structured to provide clear direction on what must be corrected, and many communities go through at least one revision cycle. The process to address comments is typically straightforward. In Sorrento’s case, several items identified as inconsistent were related to how required strategies were written. The Committee aimed to tailor strategies to local conditions, but the State requested more direct alignment with statutory language. Other comments were related to topics that are not applicable to Sorrento, such as Tax Increment Financing districts. These types of comments are a routine part of the review process. The revised plan addresses all required items identified in the State’s determination and incorporates relevant suggested feedback from State agencies. The updated materials have been resubmitted for final review. Revised Comprehensive Plan State Consistency Determination Letter ________________ The Sorrento Comprehensive Plan is the product of a three-year community effort to understand Sorrento as it exists now and to articulate a long-term vision for its future. The plan provides guidance for the town as it seeks to build on its strengths, address its management challenges, increase its capacity, and respond to anticipated changes. In addition, the comprehensive plan is required for the town to be eligible for certain State programs, grants, and loans. The comprehensive plan is intended to be a clear statement of the town’s values, collective vision, and future goals. It is meant to inform and guide the town as it makes management and planning decisions. The plan is not legally binding and creates no requirement, regulation, or ordinance of any kind. The expectation is that any recommendations or proposals contained in the plan will be given further consideration through the normal town public decision-making process. Any additional land use regulations need to be carefully considered, specific to identified community concerns, and have extensive public engagement.

TOWN GOVERNMENT >> MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT >>SELECT BOARD MEETING 2023 2023 1-04 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 1-18 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 2-01 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 2-15 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 3-01 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 3-15 Select Board Meeting AMENDED.pdf 2023 4-19 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.pdf 2023 5-3 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 5-17 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.pdf 2023 6-14 Select Board Meeting-AMENDED.pdf 2023 6-21 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 8-9 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 8-16 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 8-23 AGENDA Special Selectboard Meeting final update.pdf 2023 8-23 Kathi Moore Statement.pdf 2023 8-23 RW Statement.pdf 2023 8-23 Sorrento Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 8-30 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 9-6 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 9-20 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 10-4 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 10-18 Select Board Meeting.pdf 2023 11-01 Select Board Meeting.pdf

FAQ Sorrento Town Website FAQ Trash Household trash is picked up roadside every Thursday, by Harris Downeast Disposal. They can be reached at (207) 584-3030. Please have your trash curbside by 8am Thursday morning. Note that during the summer season, when many more people are in town, don’t be alarmed if your trash is not picked up until the late afternoon. Trash must be placed in a closed garbage bag with a Sorrento trash sticker prominently displayed. To protect the trash collectors, bags are limited to 40 pounds each. From May through October, bags must be placed inside of garbage cans with lids. Please refrain from putting trash out the night before, as animals can easily tear apart a bag. If your bag is torn apart and debris scattered, it is YOUR responsibility to pick it up. Garbage is always picked up on the scheduled day even if it falls on a holiday. Trash stickers can be purchased at Town Office on Pomola Avenue during regular office hours The Dunbar Store, 1983 US-1, Sullivan, ME Nautilus Marine Hardware, 2317 US-1, Sullivan, ME Town Office Hours Town Office hours are posted on the front page of this website. At the Town Office you can purchase trash stickers, pay for licenses, permits, registrations, pay taxes and get information about the town and surrounding areas and services. Many services are available online as well. Building Permits The Town of Sorrento requires that anyone performing plumbing or construction submit an application and pay for permits. Applications will be reviewed and permits issued by the Code Enforcement Officer. Common projects that require permits include plumbing renovations, repairs and additions, septic systems, driveways, fences, signs, building construction and Shoreland projects. The Town enforces the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, as adopted by the State of Maine, and the Maine Subsurface Wastewater System Rules. Plumbing projects, both internal and external, require inspections by the Code Enforcement Officer (see Contacts page for Code Enforcement Officer information.) All contractors doing soil work in the shore land must have State Certification and must furnish a copy to code enforcement for every shore project. See Code Enforcement page for more information. Parking Parking on town roads is allowed from April 15 to November 1. In the village (area down around the harbor), the roads are narrow and parking is limited. Please read signs to note where parking is allowed or not. Parking spaces at the town dock are quite limited, and the parking spaces are not big enough to accommodate trailers or RVs. Overnight parking in the dock parking lot is not permitted. Citizen Education Maine Municipal Association has a website page on Citizen Education https://www.memun.org/Training/Citizen-Education . Here MMA is building a "toolkit" where municipal leaders can find answers when citizens ask fundamental questions about municipal government. "While citizen participation is vital to democracy, it is not enough to simply invite participation. It is necessary to first educate citizens to provide them with the ability to understand the structure, workings and benefits of local government, and to help them realize their role in local government." Harbor Sorrento harbor is a well-protected and beautiful natural harbor with panoramic views of local islands and the mountains of Mount Desert Island to the south. Dock facilities and moorings, including visitor moorings, are overseen by the Harbor Master, Louis Sutherland, Jr., who can be reached at (207) 266-5706 or harbormaster@sorrentomaine.org . Anchoring in the harbor is permitted only as approved by the Harbor Master. Speed within the harbor is limited to “headway” speed which is the minimum speed necessary to maintain steerage and control of the watercraft while the watercraft is moving. Please note that during the summer season kayakers often are paddling through the harbor and children often are in small sailboats for sailing lessons. Please be careful and keep your speed and wake down. Dock You will notice two docks in the harbor. One is the “public” dock, located by the parking lot and available for public use. A commercial fishing dock is also in the harbor. In the summer season these facilities are in heavy use, and docking times for boats is limited. Dinghies and launches with motors are not allowed at the “public” dock. There is a portable toilet at the town dock in the summer. Please be mindful of others and keep it clean, as this toilet is not serviced regularly. There is no trash receptacle or dumpster at the town dock, so please remove any waste you create or bring with you. Boat Launch Ramp The Sorrento boat launch ramp beside the commercial fishing dock is a town-owned facility. Please read the posted signs regarding parking and usage. For example, the use of the ramp for commercial purposes is limited to residents only. Nearby Islands The islands you see near the Sorrento shoreline include Stave (private with some conserved lands), Calf (private), Preble (conserved), Dram (conserved), Bean (conserved) and Ingalls (private). Please plan in advance for any mooring or beach activities. Check with Frenchman Bay Conservancy, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and the Nature Conservancy for the latest information on these islands. Fires and Brush Burning You are required by Maine law to have a permit to burn, even for a small pile of grass clippings or leaves. A Forestry Warden will be called if you burn without a permit. See Fire Department under Town Office and Departments for more information on burn permits. Hunting Hunting is popular in Maine and permits can be obtained for many species, including deer, turkey, bear and moose. One of the most popular seasons is deer season running from the end of October to the beginning of December. For your safety when walking in Sorrento during deer season, please be advised that wearing bright/“blaze” orange or yellow hats and clothing is strongly recommended as hunting is allowed in many parts of the community. https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting/index.html Fishing and Shellfish Recreational and commercial fishing and shellfish harvesting require licenses in Maine. Please be careful to check which waters are open, particularly for shellfish harvesting, as many areas are closed for water quality or conservation reasons. See below and the Licenses, Permits & Applications section for more information on licenses and permits. Saltwater fishing: https://www.maine.gov/dmr/fisheries/recreational https://www.maine.gov/dmr/fisheries/commercial Inland fishing: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing-boating/fishing/licenses-permits/index.html Shellfish: https://www.maine.gov/dmr/fisheries/shellfish Wildlife and invasive species While Sorrrento is a coastal peninsula, we do have plenty of wildlife which – unless you are hunting – you should stay away from for their safety and yours. In Sorrento you may find porcupines, bears, coyotes, fisher cats, bobcats, deer, raccoons, skunks, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, golden and bald eagles, ospreys, and even the occasional moose. Some of these animals (e.g., bobcats) are rare/valuable so please be careful about posting specifics about your sightings on social media. Both browntail moths and deer ticks present real health problems. The hairs on browntail moth caterpillars cause dermatitis similar to poison ivy on sensitive individuals, and are active from April to late June. Hairs remain toxic throughout the summer but get washed into the soil and are less of a problem over time. https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/vector-borne/browntail-moth/index.shtml Deer ticks may carry lyme and other diseases. If you spend time outdoors, know how to protect yourself. https://www.mcht.org/story/tips-for-avoiding-ticks/ https://extension.umaine.edu/ticks/maine-ticks/ Recreation facilities In Sorrento you will notice (or find online) many recreational facilities, some of which are owned by the Town and some of which are seasonal and owned by the Village Improvement Association (VIA), a membership-based organization. The Town of Sorrento has a Town office and Community Center on Pomola Avenue, the Village Green at 310 Ocean Ave and a town dock and boat ramp. The Community Center and Village Green are available to rent by contacting the Town Office. The VIA facilities are for the use of its paying members; full-time residents of Sorrento are eligible for discounts. The VIA maintains a 9-hole golf course, salt-water swimming pool, four tennis courts (including pickleball), and croquet. You can find more information about the VIA and how to join here: https://www.sorrentovia.org/ . The 9-hole, walking only golf course is open to the public for daily greens fees or memberships. Read more about Blink Bonnie here: https://www.sorrentovia.org/golf Water While many properties in Sorrento have wells, much of the Town has both year round and seasonal water service provided by Long Pond Water District. Seasonal water is generally on from May through October. Seasonal water lines mostly are above ground and Long Pond will shut off service prior to freezing conditions. https://www.longpondwater.com/ (207) 422-3499 operator@longpondwater.com Visiting Considerations The speed limit in the village area is 25 mph and is strictly enforced. Other roads in Sorrento are posted at 40 mph. This is a year-round, residential community. There are a great number of children, pedestrians and bicyclists on our roads during ALL seasons, so please use caution and obey our speed limits. Route 185, also known as East Side Road and Pomola Avenue, is a state maintained road. Large, commercial trucks should use this road whenever possible. West Shore Road is intended for local traffic only. There is no local EMS service in town. Response times will vary depending on the availability of responders from surrounding areas. Please be safe! Dial 911 for emergency services. There are no restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores or gas stations in the Town of Sorrento. The Sorrento Post Office is located at 16 Main St. The phone number is (207) 422-6896 West Cove Boatyard at 41 Waukeag Avenue has full boat repair services. They can be contacted at (207) 422-3137 and westcoveboatyard.com