The Cumberland Town Council will hold a public workshop next week to discuss a proposal to build a public boat launch on Forest Lake.

Residents of the three towns bordering the lake as well as the town councils of Windham and Gray are invited to attend the meeting, which will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 2 at the Val Halla Golf and Recreation Center.

“I’m eager to hear what they come up with,” said Windham Town Council Chairman John MacKinnon. He said he is glad the town of Cumberland is allowing people from the other towns that share Forest Lake to speak on the matter.

Cumberland Town Manager Bill Shane was granted the right to purchase a piece of land bordering Forest Lake at the March 12 town council meeting. He said he plans to buy the land and make a public boat launch into the private lake.

Shane said that residents are currently getting petitions signed, and if they can come up with 585 signatures by April 11, 30 days after the town council vote, they can issue a referendum that if passed would block Shane from purchasing the land.

“Any increase use of the lake is a hazard to the lake,” said Donald Hughes, president of the Forest Lake Association and a Gray resident. Hughes said the lake association is not opposed to the boat ramp as long as Cumberland is prepared to tackle the risks that it would create.

Hewes said these risks include boater safety, wildlife, ice safety, pollution and the invasive water plant milfoil. Milfoil tendrils have stretched into almost all of Maine’s lakes that have public access and disrupted the aquatic ecosystem.

“We always try to involve the towns more,” Hughes said. He said he plans to attend the workshop.