BRUNSWICK, Maine — Another battle is brewing over access to the Maine coast, this time in Brunswick.
Town leaders are considering creating a new public water access on Mere Point overlooking Casco Bay.
Scenic oceanfront views, peace and quiet, are all reasons why people say they’ve chose to live on Mere Point.
Dave Osterfeld is against the idea of turning this nearby 4 ½ acre lot, with access to the water, into a new public park by the sea.
Steve Walker, vice chair of the Brunswick town council, says he pushed the council to consider creating more public access to the shore on this Mere Point property. The town acquired the land when the owner died, leaving a large outstanding tax debt.
“The waters are a public resource,” Walker said. “And certainly the public should be able to take advantage of those resources.”
“We certainly don’t have any problem with everybody having access to the water,” Osterfeld said. “It’s just that right now we do have 15 different public access sites in the Town of Brunswick, which many are not utilized.”
The Brunswick boat landing off Mere Point Road is one of those areas where the public does have access to water. But the town says this landing is restricted to boating activities and not for any other use.
“No swimming,” Walker said. “No fishing. No other recreational activities.”
Several tours of the acquired lot at 946 Mere Point Road are planned, starting Saturday morning, with an open invitation to the public. But Osterfeld says the property’s steep cliff and low tide mud flats make this a poor choice for public access to the shore.