04/18/2011 - Opposition Organization Forms in Reaction to Scarborough Beach Proposal
A new organization, Save Scarborough (http://www.savescarboroughbeach.org), has formed in the wake of a recent proposal by the Sprague Corporation to build a 500-vehicle parking facility and for-profit park, the Black Point Beach Park, at the north end of Scarborough Beach, in Scarborough, Maine.
The proposal that Save Scarborough opposes would more than double the current 410-vehicle capacity available at the beach, in addition to building a new pay station, bathroom facilities, and a playground on 64-acres of rural farmland that abut the beach. Initial opposition to the proposal from the community was strong; at a March 31st meeting of the Scarborough Zoning Board of Appeals, opposition outnumbered support by almost 10 times. Save Scarborough coalesced from an initial online campaign that succeeded in sending hundreds of letters to the Zoning Board opposing the proposal.
The group has wide ranging concerns on the legality of the project in relation to local zoning ordinances, along with environmental concerns about the impact that an additional 1000-2000 people per day would have on a sensitive beach and dune ecosystem.
Another of Save Scarborough's contentions is that with 410 parking spaces, there is already adequate access to the beach. Citing public use reports filed by the beach, the organization points out that there have been only three months in the last three years when the current capacity was consistently approached. Building more parking, says the group, is a ploy for the land owner to bolster profits at the expense of the beach.
Save Scarborough believes local surfers have even more reason to feel threatened by the plan: the location of the "new" beach would be in the middle of an area currently designated as the "Surf Zone" at Scarborough Beach State Park. Surfers rejoice in the nearly 1/2 mile stretch of sand that is typically uncrowded by swimmers and other beach goers, even during the busiest summer days. Many surfers fear that building the new parking lot will lead to their being squeezed out of the water during the day, like they are at nearby Higgins Beach where surfers are not allowed in the water between 10AM and 5PM. Currently, surfers are also banned from the main section of Scarborough Beach.
Over the coming weeks, the group plans to organize opposition to the plan for a public hearing on May 11th, at the Scarborough Zoning Board of Appeals.
Information about the organization and the proposal, including the most recent documents submitted by the Sprague Corporation, can be found on Save Scarborough's website, http://www.savescarboroughbeach.org
CONTACT: savescarborough@gmail.com
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