Editor:

I feel compelled to write this letter in response to the uninformed letter by Jonathan Scott in last week’s Kennebunk Post titled “Goose Rocks Beach For All.” I am at a loss to figure out where Mr. Scott has obtained his “information,” other than from neighborhood gossip. I can assure him and his neighbors that there is no truth to the accusations behind his assertions. I happen to be positioned squarely in the middle of this latest controversy, having family houses both on the side streets and the beachfront at Goose Rocks. I believe that my views on the matters of real concern are objective ones. I also happen to know some of the beachfront owners on the ad hoc steering committee referenced by Mr. Scott. I can assure Mr. Scott and all others who are concerned about their access to and use of the beach that the beachfront property owners are not trying to lay claim to the “entire beach”. It is, however, a fact that those who own homes on the beachfront do own the beach in front of their homes down to the low-water mark. Those owners on the ad hoc steering committee are not interested in keeping their neighbors off of the access paths and off of the private part of their beach. They are, however, interested in preventing developers and the town from using the beach as a tool to market Goose Rocks Beach to the general tourist community in order to generate increased revenues for the particular interest of a very limited few. Developers are including Goose Rocks Beach as part of their condominium/hotel amenities in order to attract prospective buyers by using other people’s property (Goose Rocks Beach) as an inducement. The posting of beachfront property has, I believe, been recommended as a necessary legal requirement to prevent claims that beachfront owners have forfeited their rights to govern access to their beachfront areas.

Goose Rocks Beach happens to be its own community, which also happens to be a part of the larger community and town of Kennebunkport. I believe that I can speak for most residents, whether beachfront owners or otherwise, that we would like to see Goose Rocks retain the relative quiet, residential atmosphere that has existed here for so many years. As it is, many of the traditional style cottages have been knocked down and replaced by homes that many consider an unfortunate change to the more quaint style of cottages we have been accustomed to. Yes, change is inevitable, but hopefully we will not have to endure a complete transformation to a beach that is so modern and crowded with beachgoers, perhaps transported in by shuttles from satellite parking areas or whatever, that it is no longer the unique place that we know and love. But I digress….I believe, as do the members of the ad hoc steering committee for the Goose Rocks Beach beachfront property owners, that all members of the GRB community need to educate themselves as well as possible (including from a legal standpoint) and join together to prevent the beach from being used (and probably abused) by those who wish to exploit it for their own gain. The beach is a limited resource. If we continue to overburden this resource with more development, we will inevitably be dealing with ever-increasing water quality issues and deterioration. It is not true that the continuing expansion of tourism is in the interest of the people of the town or the environment.

Those of us who are paying attention have noticed the slow advance of commercialism in the area in the form of condominiums, developments and possible municipal parking lots intended to bring the general tourist public to our beach. While this might be good for some in the town of Kennebunkport, it would certainly not be good for the community of Goose Rocks Beach. There are approximately 2.8 football field lengths of public beach at Goose Rocks (including 60 feet owned by the town, the remainder being owned by the conservation trust and being held in trust for public recreation). I do not believe that anyone at Goose Rocks Beach has any issue with those people in the town (or nearby towns) with appropriate parking stickers and legal places to park, using and enjoying our beach. As it is, the maximum desired occupancy for the beach is being achieved during the height of the summer. Those of us who are personally a part of this small, residential community, do not want to see an increasing influx of tourists, or people who do not have a personal interest in the community, unless they are locals, are here staying at one of our two inns or are here as our tenants or guests. Does this make our beach exclusive? I suppose you could argue that it does. Is this bad? No, it is for the greater good of our community and is therefore necessary, especially when certain people who do not have personal ties to the Goose Rocks Beach community try to use our beach for personal monetary gain. Thanks, but no thanks to all of you! 

As fellow lovers of GRB, let’s join together and get educated now as to our legal rights as a community of people who all love and treasure our special and quiet family beach. This, in fact, was the original intention of the Beachfront Property Owners Committee: Education. It would be a shame to see a division between beachfront owners and non-beachfront owners when, in actuality, our interests should be mutual and beneficial to all of us.

Let’s hear what the ad hoc steering committee of beachfront property owners has to say.

Please stop the unproductive gossip! Of course it is a little scary to hear that lawyers are involved, but let’s listen and learn before we stake our own spots in the sand.

Being proactive can be a smart strategy for the future preservation of this place that we hold so dear.”

Laura Nickerson Celi

Kennebunkport