A judge has upheld a cease-and-desist order filed against Standish by the Portland Water District, keeping the town from plowing or using the parking area at the boat launch.

Although the town of Standish has historically plowed and maintained this area, the Water District served them with a cease-and-desist order in December. In response to that order, the town filed an injunction against the district pending the outcome of a lawsuit between the two parties.

A Cumberland County Superior Court judge ruled this week that the town should not use the land as the larger case continues in court.

In this lawsuit, the district maintains it owns the land adjacent to the Standish boat launch – a position a judget in Cumberland County Superior Court upheld in a November ruling.

Standish has filed an appeal of that decision to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and requested the court to look at the town’s long history of maintaining and using the property in hopes that the higher court will overturn the ruling.

The cease-and-desist order also included a mandate for the town of Standish to move their road to the boat launch off of the district’s property by Feb. 1. According to Town Manager Gordon Billington, they recently surveyed the property and have organized a Roadway Planning Committee to research the cost to taxpayers to move the road.