Bar Harbor

A federal judge is expected to weigh in on the merits of a controversial Bar Harbor ordinance that would limit the number of cruise ship passengers allowed visit the town.

The plaintiffs, which include retail stores, restaurants and tender operators, believe the town's ordinance violates federal maritime laws and several clauses of the US Constitution. They're seeking injunctive relief from an ordinance that Bar Harbor voters adopted this fall.

A similar initiative failed to win approval from Portland voters. Bar Harbor officials say they anticipate legal challenges to the new cruise ship policy, and the town will need to hire more staff to enforce it.

As Mount Desert Island's tourist economy has grown in recent years, cruise ships have become a flashpoint in a years-long debate over how much is too much. The town of Bar Harbor is openly divided over what to do next.

Bar Harbor will limit the number of cruise ships and passengers under a new agreement reached with the industry, but residents will have a chance to vote on a more restrictive proposal in November.

One option is a citizens petition on the November ballot. The second option, born from negotiations between the town and cruise ship industry, would cap the number of daily cruise ship passengers at fewer than 4,000 people each month.

The petition would limit the number of cruise ship passengers entering Bar Harbor to 1,000 people a day.

A booming vacation rental and real estate market on Mount Desert Island is partially responsible for staffing shortages at the park this summer.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Angus King and cosponsored by Sen. Susan Collins, would authorize the transfer of land from Acadia National Park to Bar Harbor for the purposes of developing affordable housing.

Towns from all over Hancock and Penobscot Counties responded to last month's fire at the historic Bluenose Inn, which took 21 hours to suppress.