GARDINER -- Councilors on Wednesday adopted a master plan to develop the waterfront and are ready to extend the boardwalk and make other improvements.

The city has been working to finish a site plan for the waterfront since January.

The final plan includes recommendations on how to improve lighting, gateway and pedestrian access to the park and new "green space" and parking areas.

Those improvements will be funded in part by a $150,000 community enterprise grant from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

"Overall, the plan will create an exciting waterfront park destination for visitors and an economic boost to the city's downtown," said Jason Simcock, planning and development director.

The city currently is seeking a $380,000 Maine Investment Trust Fund grant to help pay for parking lot and restroom improvements.

That includes installation of subsurface stormwater drainage systems, curbing and a base house for the existing pump station, which will function as a visitor center and house local and regional information.

Simcock said the city already has secured $311,000 in other grant funding, which can be used to meet the trust fund match requirement.

"For the trust fund application, we can use other previous grants, along with local funds to help meet that match," he said. "We're doing the MIT (Maine Investment Trust) application as a joint application with the city of Augusta. The total amount we're applying for is $500,000 and the city of Augusta will get $120,000 of that."

Simcock said both cities are trying to implement parts of the Kennebec River Initiative's 2008 Corridor Action Plan through their waterfront improvement projects.

Officials hope work will begin on this phase of the waterfront project during the 2008 construction season.

"We hope to complete as much of the plan as we can based upon the fundraising we're able to do this year," said Gardiner City Manager Jeff Kobrock.

"We're looking to complete the boardwalk, install green space and a parking area, as well as lighting and restroom improvements."

Kobrock said the best part of the master plan is that it is a long-term vision for the waterfront area.

"And that's exciting," he said.

The project is part of what officials are calling "bundle projects," a new approach to 13 different municipal projects that connect to each other. They include the Libby Hill Business Park and the Common projects.

"It's been really nice," Bill Barron, who served on the Bundle Projects Advisory Committee, said. "We have one company that has their eye on all the pieces on the 13 projects. They can see every little piece and know if change is made in one project and how that affects other projects. That has streamlined the process and that has worked really well."

The city received $850,000 from state and federal agencies to complete phase one of the project in 2006, a 525-foot-long timber boardwalk and a timber-crib section that stabilized the shoreline.

That was made possible by the city's purchase of 1.93 acres of land adjacent to the boat launch, previously owned by Webber Oil Company.

Grants from the Gardiner Rotary Club and Land for Maine's Future paid for the land.

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com