PORTLAND, Maine - Cumberland, Maine, voters are giving their town authorization to borrow $3 million to establish its first public beach.
The Portland Press Herald reports voters approved the referendum question on Tuesday. The vote allows town officials to borrow money to buy about 25 acres of the Payson estate on Foreside Road, near Broad Cove. The land includes 9 acres near the road, a half-mile right of way to the waterfront, and 14 acres of shorefront and tidal property. The beach is nearly a half-mile long and there is a 220-foot pier.
Supporters saw the vote as a rare chance to create public waterfront access. Opponents questioned the cost, legality and feasibility of the proposal.