Cape Elizabeth Rejects Settlement From Waterfront Homeowners

Cape Elizabeth town councilors have rejected a $500,000 agreement from waterfront homeowners. Five owners made a deal to pay the town $100,000 each, if the town agreed to give up rights to streets for shore access that only existed on paper. It was another passionate meeting Wednesday night, that turned emotional for some town councilors, and while time was restricted for public comment, residents lined up one after another to voice how vital these paper streets are to Cape Elizabeth. This all began in January, when five homeowners filed a lawsuit against Cape Elizabeth, because the town never developed the road only marked on paper in the Shore Acres neighborhood. Owners then agreed in a settlement proposal to pay $500,000 to the town, if it gave up the rights to the undeveloped street. For months, residents have fought for maintaining the paper streets, access to the shoreline and the 800-foot pathway that they nearly lost Wednesday, but town councilors wanted to reiterate that this is not over. The town council voted 6-1 to reject the settlement, but will continue with the lawsuit filed by those five homeowners. Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news.