UNE, SRCC ask court to dismiss Biddeford’s complaint

January 29, 2026January 30, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

The University of New England (UNE) and the Saco River Corridor Commission (SRCC) are both asking the York County Superior Court to dismiss a civil complaint that was filed against them by the city of Biddeford.

The requests for dismissal were each filed earlier this month after the city formally brought its complaint to the court in December.

The city’s complaint — according to City Attorney Harry Center – was triggered by new information that came to light in an Oct. 14, 2025 story published by the Biddeford Gazette: UNE Pier approval tainted by glaring SRCC mistake.

*The Superior Court has yet to hear oral arguments in Biddeford’s complaint about the University of New England and the Saco River Corridor Commission.*

At the center of its complaint, the city argues that the SRCC neglected to consider its earlier ruling in 2001, which created a 250-foot no-development buffer zone between UNE’s campus and the Saco River.

Despite that 2001 ruling, the SRCC approved UNE’s request to construct a large-scale pier on the Saco River in August 2024. That pier will require construction of a paved access road through the buffer zone.

In October, SRCC Executive Director Cherie Dunning described the situation as a mistake that could not be remedied retroactively because the time frame for an appeal of the agency’s decision has expired.

“It does appear that there was an omission of relevant information provided to the commissioners before last year’s vote,” Dunning told the Gazette in October.

Only weeks after the city’s biennial election, Biddeford’s new mayor and city councilors decided that the issue warranted further review and consideration.

Center told the Gazette this week that the court has yet to hear any arguments. He also said that he – on behalf of the city – has filed a request to have the court hear oral arguments.

In their motion to dismiss, the university listed several reasons why the city’s complaint should be dismissed by the court, arguing that the “court lacks jurisdiction to consider the untimely complaint and that the city failed to exhaust any administrative remedies.”

Furthermore, UNE claims that the Saco River Corridor Commission did not fail to do its due diligence in reviewing the university’s application.

The university also says the city does not have standing to bring the complaint.

The controversial pier project was narrowly approved by the Biddeford Planning Board (3-2) in August 2025.

A group of Biddeford residents then filed an appeal of the planning board’s decision but that appeal was rejected by the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

The research pier was also approved last year by both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

The city has not yet issued a required building permit for the pier project.

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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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Kurtz unopposed for Ward 5 council seat

October 3, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Jim Krause ~ 1 Comment

By JIM KRAUSE, Contributing Writer

David Kurtz, 38, is running unopposed for the Ward 5 seat on the Biddeford City Council.

Kurtz — an attorney specializing in corporate law and debt restructuring — grew up in the city and serves on the city’s Waste Management Committee. He said his legal background gives him tools to serve both residents and businesses in the ward, which stretches from the Saco River to the Five Points intersection and includes Main Street’s business district and the mills complex.

*David Kurtz will be the only candidate on the ballot to represent Ward 5 (downtown) on the city council*

Top issues:

Kurtz said affordability is the city’s most pressing challenge.

“Affordability, and not just housing — though that is a big issue these days — but also affordability in daily living,” he said.

Kurtz pointed to rising rents and landlords who leave properties vacant rather than offering them at lower rates, a trend he argued both worsens the housing crisis and reduces tax revenue.

“If we can’t attract people into homes and apartments, and we can’t encourage more affordable building, then the system itself could become unsustainable,” he said. “If we lose the people because of housing that isn’t affordable, then we lose the customer base at the businesses, which, in turn, drops the tax revenue from the businesses as well.”

Kurtz also emphasized public safety as another top issue, recalling Biddeford’s reputation decades ago as a city with
high crime and struggling neighborhoods.

“We aren’t that Biddeford anymore, but we need to continue to grow with the city in terms of safety infrastructure and within the communities,” he said.

Kurtz praised Police Chief Fisk and the department’s reputation in the region, pointing to improvements in community policing and public confidence

“It isn’t always about housing and community projects,” he said. “We need to invest in the safety surrounding it all, and that safety is more than just policing.”

Kurtz also said the city’s unhoused population remains a challenge that extends beyond local government.

“This is more than just a city issue,” he said. “The cities rely on the state, and the state relies on the country. It isn’t as simple as just putting up a building for people to go to. You have to have resources, and those resources take funds.”

Kurtz also expressed concerns about the stability of federal funding for communities.

Why is he running for office?

Kurtz said his decision to run stems from frustration with communication at City Hall.

“I couldn’t get answers to a lot of my questions,” he said. “I’m not alone. My neighbors are always asking me about this issue or that because they’ve sent emails and haven’t gotten responses.”

Kurtz said one of his campaign goals is to create a single webpage tracking all of the city’s ongoing projects.

“I really just want to be involved, and I want to be able to communicate what is going on in the city better for everyone,” he said.

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Jim Krause is a freelance writer living in Biddeford. He can be contacted at jiggyjim@live.com

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New twist in Sunday shooting incident

May 13, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

Victim says community needs to do more in addressing crime, mental health needs and homelessness in the downtown area

Although his story has been shared in several other media outlets over the past 48 hours, Joshua Wolfe contacted the Biddeford Gazette in hopes of ending rumors and speculation about a shooting that happened in Biddeford on Mother’s Day.

Wolfe, 32, was shot in the leg by someone he did not know outside of his Elm Street office. He was treated and released from the hospital that same afternoon.

Police arrested Derick Dorais, 34, of Elm Street, Biddeford, shortly after the shooting, said Biddeford Police Chief JoAnne Fisk

*Shooting victim Joshua Wolfe says the community needs to do more to address downtown crime, homelessness, substance abuse and mental health concerns. (Contributed photo)*

Fisk said that Dorais has been charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, a Class C felony and punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Dorais was unable to make bail, said Fisk. He was taken to the York County Jail in Alfred, where he remains as of press time.

Because of the intense media coverage, Wolfe says that too many people are reacting without understanding what actually happened. He says that he been “bothered” by some of the commentary he has seen on Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites.

Wolfe said people need to understand the “randomness” of the attack, and he wants the city to address the issues of rising crime, lack of mental health and substance abuse services and homelessness.

“If this happened to me in broad daylight it could happen to anyone,” Wolfe stressed during a Tuesday afternoon interview. “Imagine somebody leaving a downtown restaurant or attending the River Jam Festival and boom, you get shot. It’s not okay. People should not have to live in fear.”

A 2010 graduate of Thornton Academy, Wolf is a successful entrepreneur who works as a business consultant and stockbroker.

Now – just 51 hours after the incident — Wolfe is trying to figure out the best ways to build community awareness and advocacy for people suffering from addiction or mental health issues.

As he has done with other media outlets, Wolfe shared video footage of the incident that was recorded on security cameras near his Elm Street office, directly across from Rent-A-Center.

If this happened to me in broad daylight
it could happen to anyone
— Joshua Wolfe

In the video footage, Wolfe can be seen turning into the driveway near his office while Dorais and another man were walking along the sidewalk. According to Wolfe, Dorais became upset because he thought that Wolfe had somehow disrespected his friend.

The video shows that Dorais walked by and then returned to the driveway just a few minutes later.

Wolfe walked out of his of his office and asked Dorais to leave his property, pointing to security cameras. The video shows Dorais holding both a cellphone and small handgun. Allegedly, Dorais said he was going to shoot Wolfe and post it on social media.

“I didn’t know what he was going to do,” Wolfe said. “For all I know he was going to execute me inside my office.”

Wolfe was able to overcome Dorais in a scuffle, but Dorais allegedly refused to surrender his gun. During the scuffle, the gun was fired.

Wolfe says he is still “processing” the incident, but now wants to turn a bad event into “something good for the community.”

Wolfe says he is considering working with other downtown business owners and approaching the Biddeford City Council about growing “concerns in the downtown area.”

Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman said he looks forward to meeting with Wolfe and helping him in his quest for increased public awareness about the city’s need to provide services.

“I really commend him,” Grohman said Tuesday afternoon. “He’s taking what could have been a much worse incident and turning it around to increase public awareness. That’s a really good thing, and I look forward to meeting with him if he wants.”

Editor’s Note: In a previous version of this story, Wolfe was identified as Jason Wolfe. His name is actually Joshua Wolfe. It was my error, and I apologize for the mistake.

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