Town officials to mull what’s next for Sebago Lake site closed because of health issues.

RAYMOND – Last week’s closure of Raymond Beach due to health issues has caused some ripples in the region by spoiling sunbathers’ plans, impacting local businesses and sparking a discussion on the town’s future role concerning the property lining the eastern edge of Jordan Bay.

The Raymond Board of Selectmen will address future plans for the beach at its next monthly meeting in mid-August.

At that meeting, Selectman Charles Leavitt said he and fellow selectmen will discuss future possibilities for the site, including a possible reopening, but only if an entity, either public or private, can manage potential health concerns.

“We wanted to step back and come up with a decision on how we, as a town, handle this unregulated beach,” Leavitt said. “Namely, should Raymond be in the beach business to begin with?”

Leavitt said there are issues with how Raymond originally gained control of the beach, which some still refer to as Jones Beach, and that discussions with the Portland Water District and the state, which operates the adjacent boat ramp, would need to take place.

“There are other entities we need to talk to, but I for one would be willing to lease it to a private entity that could reopen the beach and make a go of it,” Leavitt said.

Selectman Mike Reynolds agrees with Leavitt on finding a solution so it could reopen to the public. Neither, however, thought that solution would be reached before the end of the summer, meaning the beach will likely be closed for the remainder of the season.

“I’m looking forward to finding a way to getting it open again,” Reynolds said. “A few bad apples are spoiling it for the bunch.”

Too much trash

The site, easily accessible off Route 302 and Sebago Lake’s only free, public beach, was popular with locals and visitors alike. Users, especially parents who brought their young children to enjoy the shallow, warm water, considered the beach a safer and more comfortable alternative to Maine’s cold ocean waves.

But what made Raymond Beach popular also led to its demise. In explaining their decision to close the beach on July 22, town officials said the beach area was constantly deluged with trash, including dirty diapers, condoms, human waste and even hypodermic needles, which eventually found its way into the water and caused high levels of E. coli bacteria.

A month ago, the Portland Water District notified Raymond officials of extremely high levels of E coli. Prior to the July 4 weekend, readings were seven times higher than the recommended limit. As a result, the town closed the beach for two days until readings dropped. The hope at the time, said Selectman Leavitt, was that the public would get the message and stop using the beach as a garbage dump.

But beachgoers failed to heed the warning, and according to Leavitt, the amount of trash grew since July 4, requiring the town to take a more drastic step.

“We were hoping that by closing the beach, maybe those few people that are ruining it for others would take notice,” Leavitt said. “But when you fill three hefty bags with disposable diapers and other debris in one day, something’s got to be done. We have a responsibility to the public. The situation has gotten beyond what we can handle.”

The beach is surrounded by a 4-foot fence. According to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, anyone who crosses the fence will be issued a summons for criminal trespass. Deputies are patrolling the area and, according to Leavitt, have yet to cite anyone for the misdemeanor crime.

Beachgoers balk

The recent uptick in trash follows years of littering at Raymond Beach, Town Manager Don Willard said. As a matter of policy, trash cans have not been provided at Raymond Beach. According to Willard, receptacles were used in the past but only exacerbated the problem.

But beachgoers who were on the beach during its last day of operation, said, if given the chance, people would be responsible to dispose of toxic items.

“If there were trash receptacles, people would throw their stuff away. It’s that simple,” said beachgoer Natalie Conway, a resident of Main Street in Raymond.

Another frequent beach user, Glenn Francis of Windham, said the town was taking the easy way out by closing the beach.

“Sounds like they’re using E. coli as an excuse so nobody has to come and pick up the trash,” Francis said. “It’s ridiculous.”

Christina Dunnigan, a Portland resident who said she went to Raymond Beach several times a week, agreed that visible trash cans would cure what ails the beach.

“Get some trash cans down here for God’s sake,” Dunnigan said. “I’m sure if people had a place to throw out their diapers and trash, they’d use it. I think it’s a crock. Put a trash can out and get on with it.”

Leavitt said receptacles would soon become a trash magnet, causing more trash to be dumped at the site, especially by passing motorists trying to avoid paying for trash removal and boaters using the adjacent ramp.

“If we put receptacles out there, they will be overflowing within hours,” Leavitt said.

Legal issues

Concerning the legality of closing the beach, Leavitt said the selectmen’s highest concern in making their decision was public safety. Since E. coli readings had been high in the recent past, he said the town could have been held liable if it failed to act to rectify the situation.

“It’s pretty tough to sue a government agency, because a claim has to meet five or six tests. But one of those tests is whether or not a municipality has knowledge, and clearly in this situation we did. So, at least in that one test, we would be opening up some liability. As a result, knowing the legal, but also moral and ethical ramifications, which are equally as important in my opinion, we decided we can’t put the town in jeopardy,” Leavitt said.

Tourism impact

Jeff Van Steenbergen, on vacation from his native Connecticut, was at the beach Friday after a friend recommended he visit. He said the beach’s closure would probably impact tourists’ perception of Maine.

“You come up here to Maine and you expect it to be clean, so it’s upsetting when it’s not. It’s kind of contradictory since Maine preaches to everyone how pristine it is. So, it could definitely hurt tourism,” he said.

Barbara Clark, executive director of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, said the loss of Raymond Beach will disappoint many tourists who hope to swim in Sebago.

“Raymond Beach and Tassel Top are the most popular beaches on this side of the lake. So for people looking for a free beach, yes, the area is losing yet another place these tourists can go and enjoy themselves,” she said.

Sisters Elizabeth Hebert, right, and Hannah Delile of Gray enjoy Raymond Beach the day before town officials closed it due to ongoing health issues. Their mother, Santana Delile, said of the closure, “We’re all just sad, it seems all the free things are being taken away.” (Staff photo by John Balentine)