Public hearing for Shore Road Path is next week
 
Cape Elizabeth residents will have the chance to weigh in Tuesday on the site plan for the Shore Road Path project. The hearing will be held at 7 p.m., July 20 at town hall.
 The planning board determined at its meeting June 15 that the site plan was complete.
The town council approved the concept plan for the path last fall and appropriated $110,000 from town funds to pay for the project’s permits, surveying and final design.
 The estimated cost of constructing the path is $980,000. The town hopes to pay all construction costs by combining grant money with donations from private sources.
 Safe Access For Everyone, or SAFE, a community group trying to raise money for the path, hopes to secure $200,000 from private donations. More than $50,000 has been raised to date, according to SAFE’s website.
 If construction funding is obtained, the path will be built adjacent to Shore Road on the land side. It will be 5 feet wide to accommodate both pedestrians and bicycles.
 The asphalt path would be nearly two miles long and require removal of 26 trees. No property would be taken by eminent domain, according to the concept plan.
 
Council denies funds for study of Battery Blair

The Cape Elizabeth Town Council acting in its capacity as board of directors for the Museum at Portland Head Light, on Monday reported a $45,000 profit from last year.
The board also denied a request from the Fort Williams Charitable Foundation to contribute $10,000 for a study to renovate Battery Blair. The total cost of the study is $37,000. The foundation plans to contribute $18,000 for the project.  
The rest of the money will be obtained from donations solicited by the Fort Williams Advisory Commission.

Speed limit to stay same on Spurwink Avenue

The Cape Elizabeth Town Council Monday decided not to lower the speed limit on Spurwink Avenue. A resident requested the town ask the Maine Department of Transportation to lower the limit on the stretch of road from Old Ocean House Road southerly to Inn By The Sea.
Cape Elizabeth Police Chief Neil Williams recommended the limit not be lowered based on a recent survey done by the department. The survey concluded the average speed of cars on that section of Spurwink Avenue was 35.1 miles per hour. The current speed limit is 35.
  “I haven’t seen a compelling argument to lower the speed limit on Spurwink Avenue,” Councilor David Sherman said.
Cape council considers residential roosters

The Cape Elizabeth Town Council has referred a request to prohibit the keeping of roosters in residential areas to the ordinance committee.
The issue was originally raised by Cape Elizabeth residents John and Debra Maley in a letter to Town Manager Mike McGovern.
“It sounds trivial and almost comical unless you are the one being awakened by a crowing rooster at 4 a.m. or earlier, 50 feet from your bedroom window,” the Maleys wrote in their letter to McGovern.
John Maley testified at the council meeting Monday.
“It’s important for the town to consider what to do about this issue,” he said.
Councilor Penny Jordan, a farmer, said, “There are residences that abut our farm. I don’t want it to impact the ability for farms to have roosters and chickens.”