Superintendent to step down next year

David Doyle, who has been a part of the Scarborough school system for 23 years, said he will retire as superintendent June 30, 2011. Doyle said he announced his retirement more than a year in advance to allow board members the opportunity to conduct a thorough search for his replacement.

Doyle has been superintendent since 2006, and said he began his tenure in local schools as an assistant principal at Scarborough High School. He became an assistant superintendent in 1997 and was named interim superintendent in 2000.

The search for Doyle’s replacement is expected to begin in the fall.

School board sets activity fee schedule

The Board of Education on June 17 approved a policy to assess $200,000 in athletic and activity fees beginning in the fall. Superintendent David Doyle said details of the policy still need development, but high school students will pay $100 for each sport and $50 for each activity. Middle school students will be charged $75 for each sport and $25 for each activity.

Appointments made for school positions

Board of Education members on June 17 approved the appointments of Todd Jepson as director of buildings, grounds and maintenance and Michael Legage as director of extra and co-curricular activities. Jepson, now executive director of Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, replaces Kevin Wood, who resigned in the spring. Legage, formerly an assistant principal at Bonny Eagle, will replace Gary Groves, who will become pastor of Hiram Community Church.

Council eases retail restrictions

Editor's note: The original version of this story misstated the town council’s actions at the meeting, This version has been corrected.

On June 16, councilors discussed a fifth amendment to the contact zoning agreement between the town and New England Expedition LLC, owners of Gateway at Scarborough, the retail development anchored by outdoor outfitters Cabela’s.

The amendment allows the area to be used for outdoor events such as farmers markets, loosens signage restrictions to allow seasonal advertising banners to be attached to designated light poles and additional directional signs in designated areas. The amendment also lifts the cap on drive-through restaurants.

State reviews plan for Route 1 corridor

In an update to councilors June 16, Town Manager Tom Hall said final plans for work at the intersection of Route 1 and Haigis Parkway are now under review by the Maine Department of Transportation.

Work to add turn lanes and expand the intersection is expected to go out to bid in late July, Hall said. Work could begin in the fall, with $2.2 million set aside as part of the fiscal year 2011 capital improvement bond to pay for the project.

The work is the first phase of improvements along Route 1 and is designed to help draw traffic away from the section of Payne Road running from Dunstan Corner to Haigis Parkway. Improvements to the Dunstan Corner intersections of Payne, Pine Point and Broadturn roads and Route 1 will include lengthening the left turn lane from southbound Route 1 to Pine Point Road.

– Compiled by David Harry