PPH South Portland’s vigilante bus stop bench carpenter is back
Scsmedia
South Portland’s vigilante carpenter is back
Tristram Howard placed this wooden bench on May 17 near the bus stop near McDonald’s. (Courtesy of Tristram Howard)
The front of the untreated wood was painted light blue, with an abstract red lobster framed by the text: “Thanks for being neighbors.”
The object was placed on Broadway, feet away from a bus stop.
Someone wrote in runny pen ink in the top left corner. “Thanks for making this bench.”
The homemade wooden bench was a sign. South Portland’s vigilante carpenter has returned.
Tristram Howard, a self-described sailor, carpenter and notary, placed two “signs you can sit on” near South Portland bus stops over the weekend. One of them is painted red and located by the bus stop near McDonald’s. “I await your reply South Portland,” it reads.
“Some of the signs are really boring and flimsy, and they don’t have to be,” Howard said. “They can be useful, too.”
He’s reigniting a project he started two years ago, when he placed eight self-constructed wooden benches at bus stops around the city.
“I spent a lot of time waiting for the bus in South Portland,” he said. “And standing around waiting for the bus kind of sucks.”
He removed them months after he installed them, after a back-and-forth with the city. He hadn’t received official approval and the benches posed liability issues, according to city staff. Those benches found a home in an outdoor classroom at the middle school.
But Howard is back, picking up where he left off.
He posted on Facebook a few weekends ago, looking for volunteers to help paint, transport and care for these benches to “make South Portland a little nicer to wait in and stroll through.”
A few residents responded in the comments, because they missed the benches and hoped to help in some way. The city’s department of public works also commented, maintaining the same position that it did when Howard started putting up benches in 2024.
“Benches are not permitted to be placed in the public right-of-way,” the comment read.
And before Howard placed a bench by the curb, the city posted on Facebook.
“If a bench placed in the ROW is not properly constructed, secured or maintained, it could create safety hazards or interfere with accessibility for pedestrians and transit riders,” the city posted on May 14.
Howard thinks he’s found a new loophole this time, arguing that his structures are signs. It just so happens that you can sit on them.
State law allows temporary signs that don’t exceed 4 feet by 8 feet to be placed in the right-of-way for six consecutive weeks, as long as they contain the person’s name and address.
Melissa Hutchins, the director of public works, said in an email to Howard that the new installations are “not a categorical sign as defined by state law.” She recommended that Howard consider approaching private property owners near the bus stops to see if they would consider allowing benches on their land, with the understanding that even if it was available for public use, the property owner would be liable.
Howard said that the city has yet to explain why his creations don’t count as signs. He said he’s seen electioneering signs that are much larger than his benches.
“I figure if the law holds up for the district attorney candidates, it probably holds up for me,” he said.
The city tried to schedule a meeting with Howard, but he declined to meet with city staff, according to Shara Dee, the city’s spokesperson.
“City staff want to help residents bring their good ideas to our community,” Dee said. “We’ve worked with many residents over the years on programs, events and amenities that make South Portland better.”
But the public works department would likely not approve placement of free-standing benches in the right-of-way, citing compliance with the American with Disabilities Act and local and state regulations, according to Hutchins.
State law stipulates that a person may not install or construct installations such as buildings or other items on or near any state or state aid highway. The city has a similar clause in its ordinance for city streets and sidewalks.
It’s the argument the city used when asking Howard to remove the benches in 2024. At the time, Howard maintained that his benches were worthy of a waived exemption.
Installations can be permitted if the Department of Transportation receives a statement of support from municipal officers, if the speed limit on the road is no more than 35 miles per hour and if the Department of Transportation commissioner determines that “highway safety and public welfare will not be adversely affected.”
But the city did not support a waiver, partially because of the risk and cost.
The city, which would be liable for the structures, would need to get the benches inspected and officially approved for safety and structural integrity. The engineering stamp could cost more money than the city would spend on a bench, City Manager Scott Morelli said at a council meeting in October 2024.
There are specific guidelines for benches at bus stops, ones that Howard didn’t follow, city staff said. They need to be bolted to the ground, for instance, according to Greater Portland Metro.
Adding a bench to a bus stop could be considered an improvement by the department of transportation, which means the whole stop would need an upgrade to be ADA-compliant. Morelli estimated in October 2024 that upgrading a bus stop could cost between $20,000 and $40,000.
“I don’t think anyone could mistake what I was doing back then for the city doing anything,” Howard said. If he buys the materials new from Home Depot, he can build a bench for less than $50 and in less than three hours.
“Sometimes we’re able to make our communities better in ways that don’t involve a budget, and it’s essential not only that we try but also that we continue to be allowed to,” he said.
Though Howard has heard from many people who would be interested in painting signs, he doesn’t have any immediate plans for the project. He moved away from South Portland, and he’s busy with other things, like trying to launch a campaign for U.S. Congress.
“I just wanted to let South Portland know that I’m here and I remember you all and there’s a cool little project that if anyone who still lives here wants to carry on, they’re welcome to,” he said.
That said, he still has materials.
“If people want me to make more, I have stuff for more,” he said.