Searsport property dispute causes frustration among landowners
SEARSPORT – Property owners in a subdivision on Birch Lane in Searsport are frustrated with how a landowner in an adjoining property is using his land.
“A lot of neighbors are disturbed because of, you know, the traffic that’s gonna be imposed and the level of noise and disturbances,” said Bill Stone, property owner at 20 McGrath Lane.
Christopher Colby, the property owner at 324 West Main Street, is allowing his backyard to be used for church services and a youth camp.
“We more than welcome them to come down during pandemic conditions,” Colby said. “They’ve got a 400-seat tent out there for the adults and a smaller one for the children.”
Searsport Town Manager James Gillway said institutional use on the property is illegal.
“Our code enforcement officer has already sent a notice to them to stop that activity,” Gillway said.
Residents of McGrath Subdivision said Colby plans to bulldoze the brush and trees currently blocking his property from Birch Lane, so he can have his own access to the road.
“There is a deed restriction,” said Joanna Owen, property owner at 11 McGrath Lane. “Birch Lane is to be only used for ingress and egress to residential lots in McGrath Subdivision.”
“What my intention was to do was to, you know, cut some trees down, expand my lawn,” Colby said.
The property owners said the town didn’t have the right to give Colby properties that were privately owned.
“Three belong to one neighbor. One belongs to another, and then there are three lots in the front of the subdivision that have been given to him that belong to someone else,” said Toni Stone, property owner at 20 McGrath Lane.
Gillway said everything the town did was in open meetings and the trade of land was approved.
“In 2018, I sought permission from the Board of Selectmen along with the chair of the board to figure out if a trade of properties to benefit the town could happen,” Gillway said.
Residents want the town to help in this dispute.
“It’s turned our peaceful little heaven into a metropolitan area,” Owen said.
“If they can live with this just until, you know, the fall into the spring, than we’ll be done with it,” Colby said.
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