A Busy Week for the Marina Project...

It has been a busy week for the Saco Bay marina proposal.

Tonight (Thursday, February 21) at 7pm in the Old Orchard Town Council chamber in Town Hall there will be a public meeting at which the Maine Attorney General's Office and the State Planning Office will explain that the lease option agreement between Saco and developer Bill Danton is invalid (see article below).

On Tuesday night the Old Orchard Beach Town Council voted unanimously to support State Representative George Hogan’s bill to extend Old Orchard Beach’s seaward boundary from 1000 feet off the beach to 3 miles.

The Council also took public comment on a proposed change to the Town Ordinances to explicitly prohibit the use of the town beach or adjacent waters by amphibious vehicles. This change is aimed at preventing shuttle vehicles from a marina from landing on town beaches. Only 4 people spoke. Bill Danton and his cousin George Kurr spoke against the change; OPA Treasurer Phil Denison and another citizen spoke for the change. The Council appeared to be split on the proposal.

The proposed change to prohibit amphibious vehicles from using town beaches and waters may come up for a vote at the next Council meeting on March 4. If so it will be good for people who favor the change and can attend the Council meeting to come and speak for the change. If you can’t attend the meeting, you can write or email Council members with your opinion on prohibiting amphibious vehicles from using town beaches and waters. Contact information for Council members is also below.

Ed Rea
Executive Director
Ocean Park Association
...more than a day at the beach
207-934-9068 x201
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Portland Press-Herald, Thursday, February 21

Meeting today aims to clarify claims to waters off beach
State officials have called a meeting at 7 p.m. today to discuss a lease option signed by the city of Saco last fall for waters off Old Orchard Beach, officials said.

Old Orchard Beach Town Council Chairman Jim Long said the Maine Attorney General's Office and the State Planning Office requested the meeting to explain that the lease option agreement between Saco and developer Bill Danton is invalid.

Danton sought the lease from Saco for a proposed offshore marina because Saco retained title to waters off Old Orchard Beach when the two communities split 125 years ago.

The state also has a claim to the waters. By state law, Maine controls coastal waters out to three miles from shore.

The Saco City Council did not consult with Old Orchard town officials before making the decision. State Rep. George Hogan, D-Old Orchard Beach, recently introduced a bill that would give the town control of the coastal waters off its shore.

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E. O'Neill, Vice Chair, 1 Oakcrest Drive
934-5714 ext.226 soneill1@maine.rr.com

Sharri MacDonald, 171 Portland Ave.
590-4201 smacdonald@maine.rr.com

James F. Long, Council Chair, 6 Long Cove Drive
934-2238 jlong@maine.rr.com

Roxanne V. Frenette, Councilor, 102 Ross Road
934-5083 rfrenett@maine.rr.com

Robin Dayton, Councilor, 59 Fern Ave.
807-1017 (cell) RDayton001@maine.rr.com