UNE lawsuit against Biddeford over development moratorium heads to Maine Supreme Court

PORTLAND (WGME) — A legal battle between the University of New England and the City of Biddeford is now headed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

UNE is suing the city after leaders approved a 180-day moratorium on university development earlier this year.

“Litigation wasn’t our first choice,” UNE VP for Legal Affairs Ron Schneider said.

UNE is suing the city for disrupting approved projects through a development moratorium the city established in January.

Schneider says while they believe there is no straightforward reason for the moratoria, they think it was sparked by the university’s push to replace an existing pier with a new one along the Saco River.

“The full year-round permanent pier will allow students to engage in research and work on the water year-round,” Schneider said.

The project first initiated in 2009 is still being debated by city leaders. According to the city’s website, the project violates a long-standing permit that requires new developments to “retain and maintain a 250-foot-wide vegetative buffer along the entire shoreline,” the pier’s proposed access road would violate that permit.

However, the project has already been approved by the city planning board.

“Now politics seems to have taken over,” Schneider said.

The city held a meeting just for public comment on the pier in October, with many opposed to the location of it, and at least one other saying it could affect boat moorings.

“There are at least seven that have to move so UNE can even use this pier,” Sean Tibbets, who has a mooring near the UNE pier, said.

A legal battle between the University of New England and the City of Biddeford is now headed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. (WGME)

Meanwhile, the university disagrees.

“In many respects, it’s a false narrative,” Schneider said. “A narrative that says, ‘This pier is going to go out into the federal channel, into the middle of the river,’ and it’s not.”

The City of Biddeford says it does not comment on ongoing litigation. When CBS13 asked UNE if they think this has affected their relationship with the city, they said with city leaders, but not the city itself.