Pier Vote

The City Council voted to negotiate with Ocean Properties to redevelop the Maine State Pier. Munjoy Hill News and the Press Herald filed reports on the meeting. Dave Marshall brought up the issue of the way that Ocean Properties does business, which is to take any development disagreement to court. And since the City will not have the funding to fight, Ocean Properties will get their way. Any attempt to limit their ability to do this by somehow putting it in the contract will simply not work.

The Press Herald's article also notes that "Alan Graves, a yacht skipper" wants to put a luxury marina in next to the pier project (and needs City land to do so). He argues this would be a good idea because the wealthy yacht owners would bless the city with their money when they came to town. Seriously?