Upgrade of the Parade Ground bleachers at Fort Williams Park heads a list of long-term improvement projects submitted to the Town Council by the Fort Williams Advisory Commission.

The council accepted the report at its meeting July 9, and will likely discuss it at a future workshop.

The list of recommendations includes two short-term and five long-term projects, prioritized by the commission and developed with the cooperation of the Fort Williams Charitable Foundation.

"Though not an original feature of the military installation, the bleachers have come to serve as the heart of the park for many Cape residents," according to the report. The concrete steps are used for special events including Little League games, Family Fun Day, concerts and graduation; and are used daily for passive recreation. "The Advisory Commission has prioritized this area because we believe there is great potential here for more than bleachers and a ball field (though these uses would likely still have a home here)."

"Creatively executed, this area could become a community amphitheater that could serve Cape residents and visitors in an infinitely expanded number of ways," the report says.

The report estimates a 2-3 year time period for fundraising and construction, and a cost of $500,000 for pre-cast concrete slabs.

Second on the list of long-term projects is preserving and presenting the history of Battery Keyes and Battery Garesche. Time period for this project is estimated at 3-6 years. The cost is unknown, but the report cites the significance of these structures as among the few remaining, publicly owned, unsealed batteries of their kind in New England. "We propose renovating the structures to reflect their original uses, and keep them open for visitors to experience this aspect of the Fort in its heyday," the report says.

Third on this list is the Goddard Mansion.

Built in 1853 on shoreline property that would later become part of Fort Williams, the former residence is an historical ruin but still popular among visitors.

"When the commission went through a similar prioritization exercise five years ago, the top priority project was Goddard Mansion," says the commission's report. An extensive engineering study, funded by the Fort Williams Charitable Foundation, recommended immediate stabilization of the structure, with an estimated five-year investment of $450,000, plus added monies each year, to maintain the site as a ruin.

"Over the past five years, it has become increasingly obvious that other structures in the park are also in serious disrepair," the report says. "The commission has come to the very difficult decision that as much as the Goddard Mansion ruins are an essential part of the park for many visitors, rebuilding or renovation would be a wildly expensive and unreasonable expenditure for taxpayers," it says.

The commission's recommendation is to more thoroughly explore other options for the future of the ruins, including involving citizen participation.

The fourth and fifth long-term projects are the feasibility of restroom facilities; and, renovations to the main entrance, each projected as 3- to 5-year projects.

Chuck Wilson, chairman of the Fort Williams Advisory Commission, presented the report to the council July 9, and Fort Williams Charitable Foundation President Joel Russ was on hand to support the findings.

"Some of the recommendations don't have as high a fund-raising potential as others," Russ said. "But, once a final decision is made, we're prepared to initiate an aggressive and comprehensive campaign that incorporates those recommendations with a large vision of what Fort Williams Park can mean for the citizens of this region in the future," he said.

Short-term projects listed in the report are:

• Lighting for the flagpole after dark; and,

• A new interpretive installation for Battery Knoll overlooking islands.

In a related matter, the council will be considering appropriate uses of funds generated by the Town owned Museum at Portland Head Light for the improvement of Fort Williams for the enjoyment of lighthouse visitors.

The council, meeting as the Directors of the Museum, met before their regular meeting to tour recent projects at the lighthouse property, to review financial reports and to hear an update on the museum and gift shop from director Jeanne Gross. As directors, the council voted to seek suggestions for use of the funds with advice of the staff and the Fort Williams Advisory Commission.

The directive addresses one of the Town Council's goals for this year.