Announcements

As previously communicated, the final Monday pickup of Bayside trash and recycling will be Monday, September 7, 2026.

What is changing?

The last Thursday pickup for 2026 will be September 10, 2026. 

After that, Bayside trash and recycling will be picked up only on Tuesdays starting September 15, 2026. Please remember to put your trash and recycling out by 8 a.m. The contractor does not have a set schedule and may pick up your trash any time after 8 a.m.

The last day of lifeguard coverage along the Bayside waterfront is Saturday, August 29th.

All Village Tax bills must be paid and processed at the Northport Town Office, located at 16 Beech Hill Road, Northport, ME 04849.

Village Office staff cannot process tax payments or deliver payments to the Town Office on a resident’s behalf. For tax bill inquiries, contact the Northport Town Office at 207-338-3819.

Some Bayside residents have responded with feedback about the Board of Overseer’s recent request of the Town of Northport to install permanent stop signs at certain locations. Additionally, the Board requested that the town consider the seasonal installation of speed humps borrowed from the state Department of Transportation as an experiment to address speeding concerns.

Our earlier communication to the village on this matter stressed three important points:

1. The roads in question (Broadway, George, Bluff, and Shore) are town roads.
2. Speed humps were part of the request to the town as a seasonal experiment. Standard stop signs would be more permanent.
3. The town Select Board will decide on whether to act on our request.

Additionally, the town and the Board of Overseers anticipates that no final action on this matter will happen without a full process of consideration — including gathering and analyzing traffic data, consulting with the DOT, weighing what other towns do to address traffic calming, and providing for public input on any final plan.

Reminder: The Board of Overseers, and the Safety Committee of the board, do not have a role in approving or implementing any installation or changes in the traffic patterns on town roads — including those roads mentioned above.

What’s more, our request is in response to many Baysiders who have long urged that something more be done to address traffic patterns — notably speeding — on key roads in and out of Bayside. However, and to repeat: Town roads are managed by the town — and any changes to town roads will be made based on decisions by Northport Select Board.

We copy below, links to the feedback that has been received on this topic to date. If you would like to add your voice to the mix, please email Alyssa Haywood, Office Manager, at: officemanager@nvcmaine.gov.

You might also choose to email the Northport Town Administrator, James Kossuth, at: administrator@northportmaine.org.

Michael Tirrell, Safety Committee Chair & Overseer

Feedback from Lisa Brita

Feedback from Jen Lannan

Feedback from Mike Lannan

Feedback from Don Knott

Feedback from Dan Webster

The issue of speeding in the village is a significant concern to many people. And where speeding patterns typically play out is on town roads including Broadway, George Street, Shore Road, and Bluff Road. For background, town roads are those that generally run north-south and they are the responsibility of the town. Village roads generally run east-west and are managed by Bayside.

The Safety Committee met recently to discuss research that Steve Kazilionis has done, including his discussions with a Department of Transportation traffic expert. Steve explained best practices for dealing with speeding – more specifically, the ways that Maine communities are attempting to calm traffic with stop signs and speed humps.

According to the DOT expert Steve consulted, stop signs are not allowed as single-purpose tools to address speeding along stretches of roads. They are effective, however, at calming traffic at intersections.

Steve also briefed the Safety Committee on the DOT expert’s suggestion that speed humps be installed in a couple of locations as an experiment. The DOT provides speed humps on loan and could be removed after the summer season. 

At the July 13^th Overseers Meeting, the board approved the Safety Committee’s recommendations that standard stop signs be installed at key intersections – on Broadway (perhaps at Pleasant Street & Park Row); on George Street at Sea Street; and on Bluff Road at Main Street.

The Overseers also recommended, pending town approval, that speed humps be tried as an experiment in two locations: on Boadway as cars enter the village and on George Street, prior to Griffin Street. Exact locations would be finalized later.

The formal request for the above-mentioned standard stop signs and speed hump experiments on town roads was made by Janae Novotny at last night’s meeting of the Northport Select Board. It’s important to note here that this request is the start of a process. 

The town board agreed to study the issue further, including by consulting with the DOT, and perhaps requesting a DOT traffic study on traffic volume and speeding at various locations. The Select Board also is interested to learn about what other Maine towns do to address traffic calming. 

Last, though not least: Please expect a means for public input on this issue before any final recommendations or a vote by the Northport Select Board.

Look for further updates as this process unfolds.

Michael Tirrell, Overseer and Safety Committee Chair

A recent incident speaks to why parking — and importantly, NO PARKING — is a critical issue in Bayside.

Some days ago, there was a car accident in Bayside. Two emergency vehicles — a fire truck and an ambulance — could not get through to the location due to cars parked in no parking areas. They managed to reach the site after re-routing.

It’s been a few years since the village revised its parking ordinance and clearly stipulated where parking is — and isn’t — allowed. The primary reason for the careful review was a concern about safety vehicles being able to reach the site of a fire, car accident, or any incident that could be a matter of life and death.

Ask yourself a simple question next time you look to park: Can I park here legally, or would my decision to go ahead regardless of the rules potentially threaten someone’s life or safety?

It’s that simple. And if you need to know more about parking in the village, please go here.

If you need a quick primer on where you can and can’t park, please check this out, with map included.

With the start of the summer season, here are some critical public safety updates:

Lifeguard Coverage

Bayside will have seven-day-a-week lifeguard coverage again this summer – with one lifeguard on duty each day beginning on July 4^th. For July, Aiden Huck returns for another year and our new lifeguard, Perrin Hathaway, will begin service at the beginning of July. Danielle Hicock returns to Bayside in August and Perrin will continue in August too. Lifeguards will be on duty from 10AM thru 6PM daily, with a half hour lunch break at midday.

Dock Safety

Swimming, jumping, and diving from the wharf is allowed only from the front of the wharf (the side with the wharf ladder) and from the swim float down the ramp from the main wharf. Please note: On busy days, swimmers often crowd the path that boats take to the boat float. Lifeguards will watch that pattern closely and warn swimmers – especially children diving off the dock – to keep clear of the boat path. Bikes, scooters, skateboards etc. are prohibited on the wharf!

AED Locations

The village has 3 AED devices – one is stored overnight at the Blair Agency and is transferred each morning by a lifeguard to the main wharf. Two other AEDs are in Community Hall – one upstairs and one downstairs. An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a portable life-saving medical device used to treat people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

Fireworks & Beach Fires in Bayside

Fireworks are banned in Bayside. The Town of Northport’s Fireworks Ordinance states: No person shall use, possess with the intent to use, sell, possess with the intent to sell, or offer for sale consumer fireworks within the geographic limits of the Northport Village Corporation. Please tell your guests and renters. 

Also: Beach fires require a permit. Learn more here.

Drive Slowly in Bayside

The speed limit on Broadway is 15 mph, and on George Street the speed limit is 25 mph. Those are maximum speeds, but some conditions may require you to slow down even more.

Kids & Bike Safety 

Maine state law requires a bike helmet for anyone under the age of 16. See the graphics below detailing rules for bicyclists and motorists – prepared by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine:

Pedestrian Safety

Walkers abound in the summer, with many walking in the early mornings or late evenings, so be on the lookout and give them plenty of room when you pass.  Walkers should walk against traffic. 

Playground and Basketball Court Hours

Both are open daily from 8AM to 9PM. Noise carries easily – please respect the more than 20 families with cottages around Ruggles Park. 

Parking in Bayside 

Please park your car/cars in front of/beside your cottage where permissible. We understand that you may prefer not to have a car parked in front of your cottage, however cars may be parked on public property in front of any cottage where parking is allowed.  Also, we strongly encourage second and third vehicles to be parked in Cradle Row or other parking spots away from the heart of the Village.

Fires on Bayside beaches must comply with the NVC Fire Ordinance and Maine State Law, but any fires on village beaches during the summer season require an additional degree of care and courtesy to protect the community.  

For beach fire guidelines and safe practices, please consult this helpful guide.

Bayside is filled with old, beautiful, wooden houses. We have had devastating fires in the past, and we are always on alert to the potential for stray sparks and fires.

Additionally, wood smoke from a fire without a permit can trigger a ‘false alarm’, requiring the Fire Department to moblize and respond.

Learn more about how to Be Fire Smart in Bayside.

The latest Safety Bulletin is out, covering bike safety and reminders of where to park in the village and where parking is banned.

Remember: Parking is a safety issue in Bayside, so emergency vehicles can access all roads quickly and when every second counts.

To read the full Safety Bulletin, click here.