PORTLAND, Maine (AP) _ Residents of Maine's largest city have narrowly approved referendum to save a half-acre downtown park and give more protections to the city's open spaces.
The ballot question asked Portland residents if they want to add 35 open spaces to the city's list of protected lands and make it more difficult to sell them. The key piece was Congress Square Plaza, a half-acre park that the city wanted to sell to a hotel developer.
Voters approved the referendum 4,888 to 4,605.
Referendum supporters said failure could've imperiled other open public spaces in a city that has seen increased development interest in recent years. Opponents of the measure argue that its passage will discourage investment.