Several home owners have sued the Town of Kennebunkport to prevent public access to the vast majority of Goose Rocks Beach.
Our organization, Save Our Beaches, needs your help, but first–come visit and see for yourself the dramatic sunrise, the many hues of yellow, red and orange at sunset, or watch the full moon rise over the outlying islands, while you still can. Bring your children, your dog, your loved ones…while you still can. For if this lawsuit filed late in October wins, the homeowners, who claim to the waterline, can stop you from using all but about 6% of the beach that they can’t stop you from using. No sand castles, or walking from one end to the other, or enjoying a book in the sun next summer.
Save Our Beaches wants to continue what has made Goose Rocks Beach such a unique place, year round—the sense of shared community where the beach has long been part of the fabric of multiple generations. We want visitors and residents alike to respect homeowners along the oceanfront, and keep the beach clean, obey the laws, and protect the environment, in short, what they have done for the last 100 years. But a few homeowners who have “gotten theirs” now want to deny you the freedom to enjoy Goose Rocks Beach next year, and years ahead. Help keep Goose Rocks Beach available for your grandchildren, and help us fight this lawsuit.
We are now set up for donations , and will have news and pictures, and much more in the next few weeks. But for now, the best thing you can do for yourself, and for the beach, is to come visit, and walk the beach, while you still can.
We are totally supportive of your efforts to preserve the rights of the public and outraged at the audacity of the beachfront landowners that are seeking privatization.
Please keep us informed as things progress!
Thank you . . .
Gayle & Rob Donahue
116A Kings Highway
Outrage is far, far too calm and quiet a word for what I felt when I learned of this issue. What a hideously small, selfish act by these landowners.
The Greed is simply mind-boggling.
There is no way this can be permitted to happen to a place that has created so much joy for so many families. Its a shame some people would want to hoard this for themselves.
Its sad to think our children and grandchildren wont be able to walk down the beach and enjoy Maine if these people have their way.
Please keep us in the loop to ensure this selfish act is defeated.
Thank you.
There is no way this can happen. My family has been going to Goose Rocks for over 150 years. My grandmother used to get there by stage coach when she was young. My mother bought a cottage in Goose Rocks that is not beachfront. So what will happen to us? Are we not going to be allowed to use the beach? I really want to keep my family tradition of amazing summers on the beach alive. I want my kids and their kids to know GRB like I did.
Having grown up in Biddeford in the 50′s and 60′s, our family routines and traditions were pretty well established and predictable. Once the warmer weather arrived, each Sunday looked much like every other one…first church (to which we usually arrived 5 minutes late), then a short stop at Curtis’ Variety Store for the sunday paper. Next came a visit to Grandmother, where the conversation inevitably turned to sports. I think her interests weren’t always the stereotypical “grandmotherly” ones. Once we left there, we headed home, where we knew Mom would have prepared a small sack of goodies for the beach, provided fresh towels, and a sweatshirt “just in case”. This was the really good part of the day…we were off to Goose Rocks Beach! On those Sundays that we were lucky, we got to bring a friend. Mostly it was my dad, my younger brother, me and sometimes my mom. During the afternoon my dad and I would walk the beach in both directions by ourselves. It provided an opportunity for us to connect that we didn’t have otherwise. We’d share our thoughts on all sorts of subjects, play pranks, and tell a few jokes.
I grew up and left the state in 1970, never again to return as a resident. But Biddeford and Goose Rocks Beach were always where I felt at home. Whenever possible, I’d return for a visit, and my dad and I would always go to Goose Rocks Beach and walk and talk. There was no other place we connected in this way. Lots of stories and secrets were shared on those walks. Later, I started bringing my own children there, telling them many stories of my youth and my walks. They both think of it as a second home, although they were raised in Maryland.
Several years ago my husband and I were looking at water properties in a number of different states. I discovered an opportunity to purchase a cottage at Goose Rocks Beach. For me there was nothing that any of the other properties had that could compete with the emotional attraction to the GRB cottage…it could provide a link back to my childhood memories, even though my parents had since passed away. For this reason…the ability to walk the beach and recall all the conversations my dad and I shared…we purchased our cottage. It’s been wonderful for us. The whole family loves it. Now I walk the beach with my daughter or my son or my husband. Now we tell the stories and share jokes. Now they will have the memories.
It would be heart-breaking to think that I would never be able to walk the beach again and recall the conversations that connect me to my youth in such a powerful way or will be the fodder of my children’s memories. It would feel as if a large piece of my life had been taken away from me. But more importantly, the beauty we all share and should share, would be cut out of our lives.
My name is Nancy Homa. My family and I are very fortunate to be able to claim GRB as our front yard.We are very happy to welcome anyone to the beach and were surprised that some of our neighbors had taken steps to privatize the beach.However as beach front owners,though we were not contacted to join the effort,we do understand why it has come to this!
I would like to share some of our weekend days with our beachgoing public.One day,a beautiful Saturday,I walked down my private stairs to find a Stranger hosting a small family reunion complete with umbrellas,coolers,food that was fed to the seagulls and no room for my own family to enjoy the day in front of our own home.We politely asked for some space and were told they were there first.At that point we moved over in front of our neighbors to enjoy the day.Imagine how happy we were when it got to be 3pm .The party had moved,but the garbage that was left included dirty diapers,cans of empty beer and soda and of course the broken umbrella,chairs and styrofoam cooler they no longer wanted.We have observed this past summer lost children on our deck,people using the rock wall as toilets and several bold requests from perfect strangers to use our home facilities.This is more usual than the public know!
As owners,my husband and I do not want you all not to come.What we really want is for you to treat it like your own front yard!Our private stairs sign prevent you from being injured on our rocks and losing your kids on our private property.Our private road sign gives us access to our driveway,not always easy to get to on a hot summer day.At the end of our work day we would like to come down our stairs and be able to use our beachfront,just like you go home to your own private front yard or deck.Mostly we would like everyone to stop polluting the water.If you bring it in,take it out,if you smoke take your butts,use the bathrooms provided and teach your kids to do the same.In that way,we can all participate in saving the beach for all and the future.
I am sorry that I don’t know who I am writing to,but I hope you will share this with both sides and really consider what we have shared.We are all so fortunate to live in this beautiful area.Together ,we can keep it that way!!! Sincerely, Nancy and Dennis Homa
Hello, my name is Elise. I’m 32 and have been blessed to have enjoyed my summers at Goose Rocks Beach for 30 years…and hopefully many more to come. My husband Jay and I now bring our 2 boys to GRB. It’s difficult to put into words what it would do to my family if GRB was closed off from the public. When I step my barefeet onto this beautiful beach I come home. The smell of the sea, the laughter of generations of children and the beautiful white sand is something that shouldn’t be stolen from us.
Why is our world becoming so greedy? You own your beautiful house on the beach, why do you think you own the ocean as well? How can people be so selfish?
We enjoy our time and pick up after ourselves, why take it away from good honest people that truly love Maine and it’s beauty.
Hello, this is in response to Nancy Homa. Isn’t it a shame that not all people who visit GRB clean up after themselves. I honestly have never witnessed people leaving that kind of trash around. Occasionally I will see a plastic sandwich bag, beach toy, or cigarette butt… Which aggravates us, but we clean it up so it’s not left behind…Too bad those VERY few could spoil it for the MANY other people who respect the beach. I guess the only aspect of what you said that I don’t agree with is the thinking that you own the beach in front of your house. It really isn’t “your” front yard. I assumed that the actual beach was not part of the property owners. Maybe I’m incorrect on that. This has been public for more that 100 years and when you moved there I would have to assume you realized this. I’m not sure why someone would ask another person to move their spot on the beach. There is plenty of sand to share. As I stated though, maybe you do own part of the beach??
It’s always good to hear all sides to any story and can sympathize with the homeowners who have to endure the handful of rude and inconsiderate people on the beach. I know it’s infuriating. But it is a vast minority that behaves this way. Most people – especially in Goose Rocks Beach – know how to conduct themselves properly and decently. The 23 beachfront owners should understand that when they bought their beautiful homes that the beach was open to the public and that they might encounter situations from time to time. If they wanted a private beach, then they should have bought property that was on a private beach. It’s not just about you – there is a whole community here and most of us go back generations. I think you have a tremendous amount of gall to try and privatize the beaches and not allow the rest of us to use it due to a few sour grapes you’ve encountered We all have sour grapes to deal with in life. Get over it.
Hello from Mic Harris. There is a great difference of opinion both about to whom the ocean front belongs, and then, to what degree does the public have access for recreational purposes.
In fact, the Town of Kennebunkport is claiming that good King Charles II gave Goose Rocks to the Town, which made me think better of the whole monarchy thing.
What we believe is key here is that the beach sand has been enjoyed for 100 years by all sorts of folks and that should never change! If the 23 have a problem with things, speak up at meetings, but don’t file a lawsuit to protect a mini-fiefdom. Solve things democratically rather than bully through a lawsuit.
At any rate, good to read various opinions. Save Our Beaches is working hard to educate the public on this fight, and you folks keep on writing it–the 23 need to realize how threatening this is to people that love Goose Rocks.
We have lived as close to Maine as New Hampshire and as far away as California, but we have rented or visited others at Goose Rocks in the summer for three decades. Goose Rocks Beach is where our children and my brother and sister’s children learned to swim, surf, and sail on lazy summer days. They also learned about the sea and the wetlands, and they developed outdoor skills and a respect for the environment that continues to shape their lives daily. Now they bring their children, our grandchildren, to Goose Rocks, during the summer. This past year my wife and I purchased a cottage at Goose Rocks, and although not directly on the beach, we are looking forward to our children’s children and their children enjoying time on the beach and learning the same lessons about the sea and sand that so deeply effected our children, one of whom is an ecologist specializing in fish biology at the University of California.