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The Goddard Mansion will continue to be a safe, historic ruin for guests of Fort Williams Park to admire, but some of that admiration will take place from a distance.

The Town Council Wednesday authorized the installation of nylon fencing to block entrance to two sections of the mansion, and the repair of deteriorating mortar above the entrance to the main section.

The work will allow visitors to enter at least part of the former residence of William Goddard while officials ponder the site's future as a relic of Cape Elizabeth history.

At their meeting Oct. 13, councilors voted to use up to $25,000 from the Fort Williams capital account to address immediate safety concerns of the 151-year-old structure. The funds come from private sources and do not draw on taxpayer dollars.

The Goddard Mansion was constructed in 1853, with 2-feet thick stone masonry walls, and a roof and interior walls made of wood.

The mansion was later used by the U.S. government and finally donated to the Town of Cape Elizabeth. In 1981, deterioration and vandalism led the town's Fire Department to conduct a controlled burn of the structure, and the basement was filled to allow visitors to access what remained of the building.

Since that time, normal weathering has taken its toll on the remaining stone masonry, with mortar deterioration allowing some of the stone to loosen and fall, according to a report prepared and presented to the Council by Oest Associates.

The report, received formally by the Council Oct. 13, recommends the Town address immediate safety needs by installing the fencing and repairing the mortar at the entrance and interior wall of the main room.

The report also details a 6-year, $400,000 plan to renovate and stabilize the structure so that it may be maintained as an historic ruin. "The cost of the rehabilitation work will need to be weighted against the value of the structure as a draw for visitors to Cape Elizabeth, the value of the structure as part of Cape Elizabeth's history, and other projects," the report says in its concluding paragraphs.

The council voted Oct. 13 to refer the report to a workshop, which councilors will possibly hold at Fort Williams.

The vote to use $25,000 from the Fort Williams capital account for immediate repairs and fencing was unanimous, but it was not without question from at least one councilor. David Backer questioned the wisdom of spending money for immediate repairs if, in the long run, the Town opts not to retain the ruin. "My concern is, I don't know where we are going with long-term maintenance," Backer said. "I see the numbers in here, they are very large," Backer said, referring to the report.

Public Works Director Robert Malley, however, said at the meeting that the alternate way to address immediate safety concerns would be to restrict access completely. Cost of fencing off the entire area would differ little from the cost for partial fencing and mortar repair, he said. The intent of the recommendation was to keep part of the mansion open.

The engineering study on the current condition of the Goddard Mansion, and steps for preservation, was a recommendation of the 2003 master plan for Fort Williams approved by the Town Council. The study is based on field work conducted at the mansion this past June.