Higgins Beach: PRIVATE – DO NOT ENTER!
We are going to lose winter access to Higgins Beach. A small number of Higgins Beach residents are trying to change parking rules to keep Higgins private. Street parking for 6 cars for only 30 minutes, and the newly purchased lot will not be plowed. This equals NO BEACH ACCESS. Ben Keller, a Scarborough resident, has been following this issue closely. Below are his observations of a recent presentation of the ‘recommendations’ of the ad hoc parking committee.
The so called ‘ad hoc’ committee (which consists of 5 Higgins Beach residents and two non residents) has put forth a recommendation to the town council that is extreme. They are proposing 6 spots for 30 minute parking on the road in the off season. The premise is that it will create more through traffic- people will pull over, look at the ocean and leave. But in reality they are making it so people can not get in the water. Their point is that the lot will be open.
However, it was made very plain at the meeting last monday about the ideas for the lot, by the town manager himself, that the chances the lot being plowed in the winter, more than a few spots, and with any expediency is almost nil. The residents even told them not to heat the bathroom building because no one will use it because it won’t be plowed.
The bottom line here is that the monied landowners in the Higgins Beach area are trying to keep all the beach users out. I left the meeting seething. It seems that some of the town councilors (2 in particular) have already made up their minds to support it.
This is ludicrous. Unfortunately my mind has already jumped to a citizens initiative but that is premature. We need to stand up for our rights as taxpayers in Scarborough, and as beach users in the state of Maine.
If you want to read this travesty of a document, you can find it here:
http://www.dubioushonor.com/thedh/HiggsParkRec.pdf
I sincerely hope as a taxpayer I am not alone in this. More soon….
Maine Surfboard Ding Repair & Restoration 
Hard to take their Report seriously when its written in Comic Sans… Classic.
What about charging the beach on foot or by bike?
Just throwing out an alternative: Are there any residents within a 1 mile+ (reasonable) walking distance to the beach, who have extra land that would consider clearing a gravel parking lot and generating income off all us unfortunate souls who appreciate year round access to nature and a picturesque public beach?
Will this be in effect now? I have already been hassled by a guy in a grey plow truck with ladder racks stating that, he; “… I will be calling the POLICE and towing vehicles!” Outrageous to think that someone has been plowing that area then lying to the surfers who fill up one third of the spacings during a single day! Can we write the governator?
Hey everyone! This morning I and about six other surfers were treated to tickets upon getting out of the water. I went over to talk with the police officer who was writing another one and he told me a local resident called in to report cars parking in the beach front area on a emergency ‘snow ban’. The parking area was completely clean up to the wooden railing and there were no sign posting a ban. It had stopped snowing around three o’clock in the morning and the rest of the streets were clean as well. He said the ban was in effect up until 6:00 p.m.! On a clear day! I was to find out just how vindictive these local residents can be when a pick-up truck pulled up with a plow on it and stopped while I was talking with the officer. An older man leaned out the window and said, “Sorry you had to come out here officer, some people just don’t obey the laws!” He looked at me with a the smug look of a retard that just thought he’d won the lottery. Before I got to serve him the bird, he sped away. Pissed me off all day! These are the types of people that have a vendetta. If I were just some guy talking to an officer, he’d said nothing. But he saw me as a vagrant surfer and had to basically call me a criminal in front of the officer.
What I want to say to everyone is, do not let them take this parking. It has been available without any problems in the past and the only thing that has changed, is that there are a few types who think they’ve bought the ocean and access to it. Do not let them take it away! Go to city council meetings, write letters, call officials! Don’t bend over for these people who think they own the place. We get access to Higgens beach for roughly six month out of the year and very inconsistently then. We, arrive, surf and leave. They have their precious little heaven the rest of the time. So if anything happens to you like the confrontation with this local dolt today, post it so we can expose the real problem at Higgens beach, and that is certain locals with their heads up a certain orifice, and not the surfers…..Fight this!