Residents sound off about UNE pier, mayor tries to rewrite history

By RANDY SEAVER, editor

Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman and members of the city council listened Thursday evening to several residents who raised concerns about how the city has handled its review of a controversial pier project that the University of New England wants to build on the Saco River.

Roughly 55 people attended Thursday’s special Citizens Grievance meeting, and more than a dozen of them took turns speaking at the podium about a wide array of concerns about the pier’s review process and its proposed location.

Although an appeal of the Biddeford Planning Board’s narrow approval will take place on November 13, the university’s plan has already been approved by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Saco River Commission.

One of the most notable complaints of the evening came from several people who said the city’s harbormaster should have been part of the review process.

In the moments before the meeting started, Mayor Grohman was circulating copies of letters that were sent to Biddeford’s harbormaster by former city manager James Bennett last year.

“It’s important that people understand I had nothing to do with removing the harbormaster from the review process,” said Grohman who is hoping voters will give him another term in the Nov. 5 election.

Although Grohman did not personally tell the harbormaster to step down, he consistently said he supported Bennett’s decision.

In a Saco Bay News interview with this reporter last year, Grohman said that Bennett made the right decision to remove the harbormaster.

“I think we have come a long way over the past few years,” Grohman said during that 2024 interview. “From where I sit, it appears to me that the university is more than willing to work with us. We all know that relationship has not always been smooth, but I am reasonably confident we can work together.”

Grohman was singing a much different tune on Thursday to a packed council chamber full of people upset about how the city has handled the review process. He nervously paced through the audience, handing out copies of Bennett’s letters and directives to Paul Lariviere, the city’s harbormaster.

In July 2024, as the city was scrambling to find a new harbormaster, Grohman said: “There’s really nothing in our ordinances about how to proceed in this situation. We have been put into a difficult position.”

University of New England Vice President Alan Thibault and the school’s senior attorney sat in the back row during the grievance meeting, quietly listening to some scathing citizen comments. They did not take notes.

After the meeting, Thibault declined an opportunity to comment about the meeting and the concerns raised.

Tensions and concerns run deep

The meeting was moderated by Craig Pendleton, a former commercial fisherman with deep ties to the community.

Although many residents expressed frustration about how the review process was handled, all the speakers spoke with civility and respect, following the basic guidelines that Pendleton laid out during his opening statement.

Wade Goldthwait, a highly respected resident and businessman in Biddeford Pool, said the harbormaster should have never been removed. “It’s too bad that it has come to this, it just breaks my heart.”

Carole Alexander, wife of the late Marshall Alexander, who was the city’s harbormaster for 37 years, said the current harbormaster was not “biased” against the university. “He was just doing his job,” she said. “Was he biased because he would not back down to an institution with deep pockets?

“The problem is not the pier,” she added. “The problem is its location.”

Steve Martin said the city’s charter is clear and that the harbormaster can only be removed by the city council, not the city manager. “This doesn’t sit right with me, and it doesn’t feel right.” he said.

“The problem is not the pier.
The problem is its location.”

— Carole Alexander

Capt. Shawn Tibbetts, who has owned his mooring on the Saco River for 14 years, said he will be directly impacted by the proposed pier location. “At least seven mooring owners will be impacted by this thing,” he said. “We have been ignored and removed all local knowledge from the process.”

Tibbetts pointed out that Randy Desmaris, Biddeford’s assistant harbormaster, or Saco’s harbormaster could have been tapped to review the project if the city felt that Lariviere was biased.

Resident Ken Buechs said he felt as if the city’s Planning Board was “coached by the city attorney to arrive at a pre-determined location.”

Joe Emmons of Biddeford said the council needs to learn how “to avoid this situation in the future.”

“How does this pier actually benefit the citizens of Biddeford?” he added.

“Now that we know that there is a 250-foot buffer zone that was overlooked, how can the city issue a permit,” asked Gary McMullen.

RELATED: UNE Pier Approval Tainted by SRCC mistake

Emma Bouthillette, a former university student, said she was dismayed that the university seems indifferent to environmental impacts as they continue a course of more development and an increasing campus.

“I have seen several projects just pushed through,” she said. “They have impacted wetlands and critical habitats. This pier is another attempt to get what they want without regard for the environment.”

The meeting lasted a little more than an hour and the audience applauded when the meeting was concluded.

“I think people were pleased to have an opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns in a constructive manner,” Pendleton said.

Councilor Roger Beaupre said he was impressed by the tone and process of the meeting. “I had no idea what to expect,” he said. “But I think it was well organized and presented.”

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Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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