FREEPORT

At the request of L.L. Bean, the Freeport Appeals Board tabled an appeal of Codes Enforcement Officer Fred Reeder’s decision regarding a cemetery road running through the Freeport retailer’s Outdoor Discovery School.

According to Reeder, the project review board will first weigh in on whether L.L. Bean was correct in its interpretation of the board asking them to show the historical road on their final plans.

“My only input and decision was based on the ordinance requirement that whatever shows on a final approved plan is to be done on the face of the earth,” Reeder said. “Bean’s is back to the project review board to get a clarification on what the PRB meant by asking that the Mann Cemetery access be shown on the plan.”

L.L. Bean did, in fact, show the historic road to the area containing two cemeteries — the Mann Cemetery, as well as a larger adjacent graveyard. After providing deeded access to the cemetery through the neighboring Ulrickson property, the tote road that ran through what has become the new L.L. Bean paddling center was loamed and seeded over.

Reeder said the question remains — that if the road was marked on L.L. Bean’s final plans, was it there to be built or was it only for historical purposes?

The Mann Cemetery Association has had issue with the current arrangement, saying the deeded access across Ulrickson property pertains only to the association, leaving out the relatives of more than 170 buried in the 300-year-old cemetery.

The association’s John Mann said relatives of others buried in the graveyard have been sent across Ulricksons’ private property by the town — something not covered by the deeded access.

Reeder said hopefully it will all be settled at the Sept. 13 project review board meeting.

dmcintire@timesrecord.com

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