Over the past year, Turkey Hill Farm has received the site upgrades needed to host educational programs and specific CELT events onsite, such as the Annual Meeting this past October. The project started with a detailed site plan and conditional use permit proposal to the Town of Cape Elizabeth in November 2021. Throughout the past year, the necessary upgrade plans were finalized, contractors and volunteers organized, supplies ordered, work accomplished, and finally the inspections were approved!
Since Turkey Hill Farm is not currently considered as a solely residential area, higher safety measures were required, and the necessary site upgrades were successfully implemented. The two major site upgrades that took shape were (1) widening the road so that a fire truck or school bus can drive through, and (2) installing a new septic system and a wheelchair-accessible ADA outhouse for students to use when onsite. There are now two outhouses adjacent to the field, with a sink for hand washing in between. Due to the septic capacity, these outhouses will only be used during educational programs and specific events. There is also now a universally accessible pathway that goes from the parking area past the outhouses and into the field behind the house, to enable that field to be used as a group gathering space. The field closer to the main road was approved to be a spot for overflow parking as needed for larger events.
All of these projects meant that a large amount of equipment and supplies were onsite throughout the summer. The upgrades challenged CELT staff and volunteers in learning about the Town requirements, underground septic options, above-ground outhouse designs, road clearance heights, plumbing hookups, and solar-panel connections. We harnessed a wide range of experts’ time and knowledge — many thanks to all who contributed throughout the process. The site upgrades are now complete and visitors can fully enjoy the natural features of the property.
