For the past 25 years the Camden/Rockport Pathways Committee has worked to formalize a pedestrian path from the end of Limerock St in Rockport, passing behind the YMCA and the Midcoast Solid Waste facility, connecting to Linden Lane in Camden. This route is sometimes called the old Rock Road.

During early quarry days the road was used by oxen to pull lime on wagons from various quarries to Rockport and Camden Harbors. It was in use in 1856 and probably used before then.

We have long advocated for a walking path on this route by including it in our Master Plans, through presentations to various groups, the Towns, and behind the scenes with landowners. 

We’ve discovered that one of the keys to developing the trail is to reestablish the rights of public access to the old Rock Road. Those rights were assigned in 1856, and we believe the Town of Rockport still holds them. As Kristin Collins, an attorney with the Augusta office of the law firm Preti Flaherty says in her appeal to the Town, "As a matter of recorded title documentation, the Town of Rockport … is the owner of the Rock Road.” 

The Select Board isn’t as confident and has chosen to take no action towards reestablishing the right to public access, instead, they are leaving the decision of public access to each private landowner the path crosses.  

This issue has arisen because, as you’ve probably read in the local papers, one of those landowners has applied to remove the section of Rock Road that crosses their property.  

Rockport should work to clarify and retain its ownership of this road for a number of reasons, including: 

1. For over 150 years the public has been enjoying walking on this historic road.
2. It is an intact historic road, being considered for the Historic Register.
3. Removing the road will significantly change the hydrology of the area, affecting stormwater runoff into Lily Pond, and potentially undoing the years of work and thousands of dollars to improve the water quality of the pond. 
4. Public access is a very precious commodity. Once lost it is difficult to regain it.

The Town of Rockport does appear to own the rights to public access on the road. The very long history of Rock Road makes the legal research to clarify the title a challenge. However, the records show that those rights were given to the town in the past, and no record can be found of Rockport legally giving up those rights. Now it appears that Rockport is passively abandoning those rights because of their unwillingness to go to the effort of asserting those rights or the expense of pursuing legal clarification.

We urge the Select Board to reconsider its position, and we urge the public – that means all of you - to take action. The time to do so is now. Write to the Rockport Select Board and ask them to assert their rights to the Rock Road, thereby maintaining formal public access to the road/trail. Tell them why the issue is important to you. 

Anita Brosius-Scott

Lynda Clancy

Aaron Englander

Gary Fowlie

Kristin Johns

Lindsay Levine

Margo Murphy

Geoffrey Scott

Jane Self

Richard Stetson

Ken von Felton

Tom Zumalt