Things began to sizzle this last week, as the Town of Kennebunkport filed a major salvo back at the plaintiffs in the courts. You can read the motion in a very nice summary at www.preservegooserocksbeach.org, under the litigation link.
In this layman’s eyes, it appears that the Town is saying hold on folks–you made us go back to 1684 and review, but review we did, and what we found is pretty eye opening. Originally deeds conveyed from that first parcel apparently preserved the beach in the Town’s trust and was never part of any subsequent purchase.
Huge filing, and you should read it for yourself, or come to the April 9 meeting at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust building at 10:30 to discuss this and other issues. I won’t summarize the Town’s claim–read it for yourself and I’m sure you’ll be as excited as we are.
To be clear, the Town has made it clear to the courts that they have no interest in property above the beach regardless of how this case goes. This is strictly preserving beach use by all people the way we’ve used it for 100 years, with the obligations as stewards of a beautiful place to keep it clean, respect the beach and residents and guests, and obey the laws as beachgoers have for decades.
We don’t think this will be settled any time soon, love to be pleasantly surprised, so our focus is still on getting the vote for the legal budget at the June hearing passed so that the Town can preserve our use of Goose Rocks Beach. This has been a long fight, and expensive, and it is still important to make your voice heard. Come enjoy the beach, and if you have a chance to speak with others while enjoying the beach, share your belief that the ocean and it’s shoreline are a miracle of nature that has to be free to visitors and locals alike to enjoy and participate in.
I would once again remind the 25 homeowners in this lawsuit, who filed this lawsuit against the Town and all beachgoers and those that might someday visit, that you lose much more than you gain in this long, expensive fight. Your children, should your suit prevail, will only have the right to sit on the beach in front of your house, where if you lose, they can sit anywhere on the entire beach. Good grief, what are you thinking?
There are many, in our opinion, in this lawsuit that are to this day unaware of the implications, and who don’t live here year round and don’t interact with the community, or for many, don’t even go to the beach. Some of the litigants view this solely as an intellectual exercise, as some of them don’t have more than six people a year sit anywhere near their house. Please read the motions, please realize that this has gone on long enough, and stop the madness. Sit on the beach in the summer and enjoy the conversations and sunshine, and be part of the community instead of forever being branded as part of the curmudgeon group that wanted to change the traditions of a hundred years of mutual respect and enjoyment of a natural treasure.
It is obvious to anyone who has lived at the beach or spent summers at the beach since childhood who the real players are for the plaintiffs and what the pathetic motive is.
The plaintiffs should all be ashamed of themselves but apparently are truly shameless.
Goose Rocks deserves better.
Sincerely,
Larry Kelley