HOULTON, Maine — The Visitor Information Center in Houlton may soon have a new owner, after an offer was made to purchase the property from the town.
Scribner Hill LLC, a limited liability company based in Manchester, Maine, has made an offer meeting the town’s asking price of $290,000 for the center, which is popular as a rest stop for people traversing the U.S.-Canada border and also for a walking area for town residents.
The offer will now have to go through the town council and a public hearing process before it can be wholly approved.
Scribner Hill LLC’s registered agent is Scott Lanpher, who is also one of the owners of Houlton Power Sports, a recreational vehicle dealership located along Route 1 in Houlton, according to documents from the Houlton Town Office
The town has been looking to sell the center in recent months, having taken ownership of it from the Maine Department of Transportation nine years ago after the Maine DOT announced its intention to close the building. The town owns the property through a Governor’s Deed, meaning that to sell the property it has to officially purchase it from the state, then flip it to any prospective buyer.
At the next Houlton Town Council meeting on March 8, the offer must be introduced by a town council member in order to proceed. If it is, then the town will read the action and announce the date of a public hearing at the following town meeting to be held on March 22.
A public meeting would be considered for April 12 if the offer is introduced and the action is read, according to Houlton Town Manager Marian Anderson.
A public hearing was held in December via Zoom to discuss the potential sale of the visitor center. While not being unopposed to the sale of the property itself, many of the town’s residents expressed the desire that any purchase maintain the operation of the visitor center.
