Zoning board to look at beach plans March 9

Black Point Resource Management will announce revised plans Wednesday to develop an access area for Scarborough Beach State Park, including a parking lot and concession stand.

The revised plans, which will be presented at a Zoning Board of Appeals hearing, include one-half mile of walking trails leading to and from the access area, picnic areas, a playground and multi-purpose recreational field. 

The area, which would be known as Black Point Park, would include an additional 500-space parking lot, concession stand, gatehouse, bathroom facilities, access road, pavilion and picnic grilling area on a 64-acre parcel of land located farther down the beach. 

The proposal also outlines plans to incorporate an inactive field on the north side of the property for agricultural use and habitat restoration to compensate for land lost to the proposed parking lot.

Seth Sprague, who owns Black Point Resource Management, said the company wants a special permit to increase access to the beach and alleviate summer traffic congestion along Black Point Road. A satellite lot across the street from the existing parking lot currently is used for overflow parking.

A permit would allow Sprague to build the access area in land currently zoned as a rural and farming district (R-F).

The Zoning Board of Appeals addressed the issue Jan. 12 during a hearing that lasted nearly five hours and eventually was tabled because of time constraints. 

At that hearing, residents said theywere concerned about noise, odor and potential dangers to the environment from the proposed development.

Public comment March 9 will be limited to information introduced at that meeting, which will begin at 7 p.m. in town hall. 

Changes to habitat could help cottontail rabbit

Shrubland habitat at Scarborough Marsh along the Eastern Trail was recently expanded for the New England cottontail rabbit. 

The rabbits are endangered and the state is working with public, private and nonprofit partners to expand and manage cottontail habitats and to grow their population. Declining migratory birds such as the American woodcock and prairie warbler also will benefit from the landscape changes. 

Work occurred mainly in an area of the marsh behind Scarborough Industrial Park, off Manson Libby Road. Inland Fisheries and Wildlife staff monitored the project on-site during late February, when patches of trees were cleared to make way for shrub-covered habitat. The Eastern Trail remained open at all times during the work.