CUMBERLAND, Maine (AP) _ A Maine town will ask voters if they want to spend $3 million to create a new public beach.
The referendum would dedicate a 23-acre chunk of beachfront as the first in Cumberland with public ocean access. The special election is set for this November.
The Portland Press Heraldreports that the Payson family owned the land for generations. It is part of a 100-acre parcel the family sold this year to a developer, which might build up to 10 homes on the other 77 acres.
The beach is located near the Wildwood neighborhood. The Press Herald reports a conservation agreement signed by the former owners in 1997 could limit the public's use of the beach.