The University of New England is suing Biddeford in York County Superior Court, where the school said it is asking a judge to reverse the city’s denial of a permit request.

UNE has already appealed to the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals, which upheld the denials earlier this month. The school wanted a permit to remove about 50 trees from its property, to allow for an access road to a planned research pier on the Saco river.

The pier project has stirred up controversy among town officials and some residents, including commercial fisherman who say they fear the construction will disrupt their moorings, possibly affecting their livelihoods.

Biddeford recently asked Maine’s highest court to weigh in on the project, which the Saco River Corridor Commission approved in 2024. Arguments have not been scheduled.

City staff said in May they were denying UNE’s tree-cutting request under a moratorium that Biddeford enacted earlier this year on the university’s new construction projects. The moratorium is in effect until July 19.

A UNE spokesperson said the school had already secured necessary approvals from the state and city for this project before the moratorium took effect.

In its appeal, the university is asking a judge to declare that the moratorium violates Maine law. The school said it also plans to file another appeal in court regarding delays to its renovation of Decary Hall on the Biddeford campus.

Biddeford spokesperson Danica Lamontagne said Tuesday that the city does not comment on pending litigation.

UNE argues that moratorium effectively leaves it unable to do work that’s already approved by the city’s planning board, including the pier project.

The university also says it’s spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the design, planning and approval of the pier project while operating under the belief that the city would comply with the law and respect the planning board’s approval.

UNE President James Herbert said in a written statement Tuesday that while the university would have preferred to avoid litigation, school leaders felt it was the only action they could take at this point.

“We are ready to resolve these issues and move forward,” Herbert wrote. “The university and the city are stronger when we work together.”