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Sand Trap - Instant Beach Draws Probe in Litchfield

November 13, 2007 - LITCHFIELD — Someone brought in a truckload of sand last July and rebuilt a little beach on the shore of Lake Cobbossee.

There was a slight problem, however; the project on Peacepipe Shore Drive violated state law.

And though the illegal beach building was caught on video, the quality of the film is so grainy it's hard to make out who spread the sand.

About two weeks ago, Litchfield public works crews came in, removed the sand and seeded the property.

Now, the town wants someone to foot the bill for the removal, ordered by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Colin A. Clark, DEP regional supervisor for enforcement and field services, said it is a violation ofthe Natural Resources Protection Act to place fill within 75 feet of a natural re-

PLEASE SEE SAND B5 source without a permit from the DEP.

"Where people are trying to create their own sand beach, that is typically not something

that gets permitted," Clark said Friday. He said he sees about three similar problems a year. "Usually, you don't have the video and photographs," he said.

"All I really want to see happen here is the violation be corrected by the removal ofthe material and the site stabilized to reduce the potential for erosion," he wrote to the town on Oct. 9.

Clark had received a complaint in July about a red dump truck dropping the sand between 531 and 533 Peacepipe Shore Drive and worked with the town to find the landowner.

Research determined that the lot was given to the town to be held in common for the landowners in the Peacepipe Shore Drive area, said Steve Musica, town manager.

"Obviously, the town didn't put the material there," Clark said.

However, he asked the town, as the owner of record, to do repairs.

"It's been stabilized," he said Friday. "It looks great. I could actually see some green grass grow up through the netting."

Musica said it cost the town between $1,250 and $1,300, and the town is looking to bill the person who put the sand there.

The head of the road association said he did not know who got the sand.

"Obviously, we would not condone that activity," said Steve Lemieux of Auburn, "recently elected president of the local road association, which has 88 households. About a quarter of the homes are yearround.

Source: Kennebec Journal
Date: 11-03-2007


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