John McCurry – THE BIDDEFORD GAZETTE

[This story has been updated to include commentary from Alexa Plotkin, chair of Biddeford’s planning board.]

By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain won his campaign a few weeks ago by promising to prioritize transparency and accountability at City Hall.

As part of that pledge, LaFountain has been seeking and interviewing people who have expressed an interest in serving on any one of more than 20 committees, boards and commissions.

One of the most notable changes being proposed by LaFountain is a slight shakeup on the city’s planning board.

The Planning Board has seven members, including the chair and two non-voting, associate members.

Both Larry Patoine and Susan Deschambault will no longer be serving as regular members on the planning board because their terms expired in December.

*Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain says periodic “refreshing” can be valuable,*

Deschambault said she was ready to step down after more than a decade of service, but Patoine says he would have enjoyed serving another term.

Patoine joined the planning board in 2007 during the Wallace Nutting administration and has been repeatedly reappointed over the last 18 years.

“I really enjoyed it,” Patoine said of his tenure on the board. “Yes, I would have liked another term, but it’s the mayor’s prerogative about who is appointed. I think he (LaFountain) wants to be headed in a different direction.”

A few weeks before he announced his bid to become Biddeford’s next mayor, LaFountain – then city council president — was clearly troubled by the review process of several large projects that came before the planning board.

During a June 17, 2025 city council meeting, LaFountain and other councilors were visibly upset about how two major projects were being presented to the city council.

Both Fathom Development and Westbrook Development Corp. appeared before the council for final approval of credit enhancement agreements connected to two projects near the city’s Pearl Street parking garage.

After a tense, marathon council meeting that lasted until after midnight, the council was evenly split in a 4-4 tie, and credit enhancement agreements were approved after then mayor Marty Grohman broke the tie.

“This makes me ridiculously uncomfortable,” LaFountain said during the meeting, frustrated that City Planner David Galbraith appeared to be taking direction from the developers who were seated in the audience. “This is not a good look for the city.”

*The site where Westbrook Development Commission wants to build 90 units of senior housing near the intersection of Lincoln and Pearl streets (Seaver photo)*

Within days after winning his election, LaFountain pushed for further review of how the University of New England’s controversial pier proposal was handled.

The pier project was narrowly approved in a 3-2 vote before the planning board on August 6.

Planning board member Roch Angers appeared before the council on the previous day and said “something smells fishy” about how UNE’s application was reviewed by city officials.

Today, LaFountain says there is a benefit to having “periodic changes” on city boards and commissions.

“I think it’s good to refresh things from time to time,” the mayor said.

During his first council meeting as mayor in December, LaFountain appointed former city councilor John McCurry to the planning board.

McCurry – a former city councilor, council president and former School Committee member – said he is looking forward to serving on the planning board. “This mayor is focused on data-driven solutions,” McCurry says. “I think that’s right up my alley.”

On Tuesday, the city council will review LaFountain’s appointment of Leah Schaffer to the planning board.

LaFountain told the Gazette that he is “impressed” by Schaffer’s resume and qualifications.

According to her application, Schaffer is an architect and has a “strong interest in city planning.”

Schaffer has served on the city’s Historic Preservation Commission since 2016 and currently serves as that organization’s chair. She also serves as chair on the Citizen’s Advisory since 2023.

Schafer served as chair and member of the Heart of Biddeford’s Design Committee from 2016 to 2024.

Other members of the planning board include Chair Alexa Plotkin; voting members Roch Angers and Matt Dubois; and associate member Kayla Lewis.

Plotkin told the Gazette that the planning board has experienced a significant increase in both the pace and volume of items requiring review.

“We are seeing a big spike in the number of applications that have come before us,” Plotkin said, pointing to both large-scale housing projects and increasing rebuild/redesign applications from coastal homeowners who are either preparing for future storms or trying to repair weather-related damages to their homes.

“Being on the planning is a constant learning process,” Plotkin said, pointing to numerous policy changes and updated zoning ordinances at both the local and state level.

Plotkin said she feels “a bit sad’ that Larry Patoine will no longer be on the board. “I can see the value of a fresh set of eyes, but I also see tremendous value in having people with lots of institutional knowledge, Plotkin added.

Plotkin’s term expires in December 2027; Angers and Dubois both have terms that expire in December.

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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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By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

NOTE: This story was updated to include comments from city council candidate Abigail Woods.

As Election Day draws closer, Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman is endorsing at least two city council candidates.

Grohman today announced his endorsement of Brad Cote in the city’s Ward Seven race. Grohman also says he will be endorsing John McCurry in the Ward Two race over political newcomer Abigail Woods.

Earlier today, Cote posted a brief video of himself on Instagram. Within minutes, the mayor – through his campaign page – offered an endorsement of Cote over Sam Pecor, the other Ward Seven candidate.

“Brad is experienced and level headed,” Grohman wrote. “He is the clear choice for this seat. Please join me in supporting Brad Cote for Ward 7!”

You can see Cote’s video and the mayor’s endorsement here.

Cote told the Gazette that the mayor’s comment was unsolicited. “I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing,” he laughed.

Pecor said he is not especially surprised that Grohman endorsed his opponent in the Ward Seven race, especially since the endorsement came less than 24 hours after he publicly criticized the mayor during a special public meeting on Thursday.

“I’m not sure if this is
a good thing or a bad thing”
— Candidate Brad Cote

Grohman said his endorsement of Cote was not related to Pecor’s public criticism on Thursday night.

When asked if he would be endorsing other city council races, Grohman said he is supporting John McCurry in the Ward Two race over Abigail Woods. Grohman also said he would like to see McCurry become the next council president.

The mayor did not respond to our question about whether he will also make endorsements in the at-large race and in the Wards One, Four and Six races.

“Again, this is something that raises concern about the mayor’s ability to be impartial and transparent,” Pecor said. “You can’t say with a straight face that this is coincidence. It’s very hard to believe that my criticism of the mayor and his endorsement of my opponent today are unrelated.”

Ward Two candidate Abigail Woods said she was disappointed that Grohman endorsed her opponent, especially since she and the mayor both share a priority in meeting the needs of the unhoused and low-income renters, issues that Woods describes as her area of expertise.

“We are all neighbors,” Woods said. “Ideally we will work together no matter who is elected. His endorsement of only two individuals could make this challenging.”

McCurry said he was also surprised to learn that the mayor was his endorsing his campaign in Ward Two.

“I never asked for his endorsement,” McCurry said. “But if he is going to be offering endorsements, he should do them for all the races. There is nothing wrong with the mayor endorsing candidates, but he should not be picking and choosing only certain races.”

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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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Tag: John McCurry

Mayor proposes planning board shakeup

Mayor offers two city council endorsements