By Pine Point Association
As August ended and September began, the signs of seasonal change were everywhere at Pine Point. On Labor Day Weekend, the Audubon Center on the Scarborough Marsh closed, followed by the closing of Fun and Sun Rentals at Pine Point – signaling the beginning of the end of local tourism and the return to school and work for locals. By mid-October The Clambake, The Stern, The Bait Shed, Bayley’s Lobster Pound, Salty Bay, The Garage BBQ, Emma’s Eats, and Dog Day Gift Shop had closed their doors for the season. Summer-like weather in September and October kept visitors and residents on the beach, surfers enjoyed the open waters, and dog walkers took advantage of the off-season rules to be on the beach during any daytime hours. We’re pleased to bring you another report from the Pine Point Association.
Pine Point Association was launched last fall with the goal of representing the interests and concerns of residents and visitors, and to communicate in one voice when interacting with the Town of Scarborough, the State of Maine, and other entities. Our membership is now over 150 individual members and5 business members. Membership is open to all, and information can be found on our association website at www.pinepointassociation.org
Our association sub-committees, led by a director or officer and including association members, continue to work with the Town and State to bring modifications, improvements, and increased safety for Pine Point residents and visitors. We met with the Town about the overgrowth around the crosswalks and asked to have them repainted, which the town did within the week. Our Hurd Park committee has been working with the Town in regards to safety improvements to the public parking area.
On September 11 and 13, two Beach Cleanup days were held by Pine Point Association and staffed primarily by local and visiting employees from IDEXX Corporation. Overall, the beach was found to be relatively clean of personal litter and more likely to have remnants of rope/wood/plastic/metal washed in from boating operations. Another cleanup day will be held in the spring.
On September 24, a vulnerability assessment meeting with Scarborough town officials and GEI Consultants was held at the Pine Point Firehouse. Attendees had the opportunity to hear about current sand dune restrictions and were invited to provide input on possible flood adaptation measures. Maps illustrated potential high-tide flooding and storm inundation in the near term, in 2050, and in 2100. One of our sub-committees met with State of Maine officials to learn about potential storm damage recovery funds for Pine Point, and new information will be shared in our association quarterly newsletters.
With the inevitability of sea level rise, residents may want to become familiar with the Town of Scarborough’s Route One/Pine Point Road Resiliency Project at https://www.scarboroughmaine.org/stay-connected/municipal-projects/route-onepine-point-road-resiliency.
Soon, Pine Point residents will settle in for the winter months. Visitors will come for walks on those beautiful clear and crisp days. Summer tourists will book their 2025 vacations and dream about their favorite summer beach days. See you in the Spring!
Want to get involved? If you would like to learn more about how to support the Pine Point Association, please contact Board Chair Heidi Davis at thedavishome@comcast.net or Association President George Mageles at gmageles@hotmail.com.
