Bar Harbor Tax Map Project


Originally incorporated as the town of "Eden", Bar Harbor, as it has been known since 1918, has long been a favorite summer resort spot, a reputation which continues today. More recently, the area's impressive natural beauty, coupled with communication flexibility provided by modern technologies, has helped to make Bar Harbor a vibrant year-round community. Recognizing that their existing tax maps were no longer adequate, the town employed the services of KAPPA Mapping Inc., working in conjunction with Photo Science, Inc., to update, improve, and expand the tax map system. The completed project represents the first time that comprehensive digital parcel maps have been created for the entire town.

Maps produced by the project may be viewed at www.barharbormaine.gov/assessment/taxmframe.html

Project Type:

Stereo compilation and parcel mapping

Project Location:

Town of Bar Harbor, Maine

Scope of Work:

KAPPA was responsible for flight planning, aerotriangulation, planimetric and topographic mapping, stereo compilation, digital orthophotograpy, and parcel mapping of all Bar Harbor properties outside of the boundaries of Acadia National Park.

Project Specifics:

Starting with aerial photography as a base, KAPPA Mapping Inc. compiled all natural and most man-made features within the town limits. This included water features, roads, structures, and tree lines for the entire town plus sidewalks, driveways, and parking area in the downtown section.

Using this information in conjunction with orthophotography, 3400+ deeds, and the outdated hardcopy tax maps, new and more detailed maps for the town were constructed.

Challenges:

Sorting out poorly or inaccurately described surveys and deed descriptions. Questionable parcels were reconciled by utilizing surrounding information or interviewing the tax accessor.

End Result:

The resulting digital database facilitates property updates and ensures consistency for zoning and planning. All GIS information gathered during this project has enhanced the abilities of several town departments to better develop current and future projects, such as 911 Emergency Services updates.