A recently announced proposal by Josephine Power to repurpose a home and buildings into a retreat center on the conservation land known as Timber Point has merit, but unfortunately, Power seems to be putting the cart before the horse.

The property ”“ 57 acres along the coast in Biddeford ”“ was purchased by the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in December 2011 for $5.125 million. Power does not have any affiliation with the refuge, nor does she have any claim to the property.

Her proposal focuses on the former home of Charles and Louise Parsons Ewing. The couple purchased the property in 1929, and Charles Ewing, a master architect, designed the home.

The cottage, which overlooks the coastline, has 14 bedrooms, and Power envisions small groups coming to the property for retreats, during which they could learn about the area, environment and conservation. Timber Point Center would be a nonprofit separate from Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, she said, but would serve both organizations by preserving the cottage and buildings, and teaching people about conservation efforts.

Early plans are to bus people in from a site in downtown Biddeford, which would not only avoid the need for parking and the consequent impact on wildlife, but would also connect the two areas.

Powers’ proposal is certainly intriguing, but we agree with Ward Feurt, manager of the refuge, that it’s premature.

Currently, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, which oversees national wildlife refuges, is not endorsing Power’s plan, nor is it entertaining the possibility until evaluations of the buildings are complete, according to Feurt.

He said earlier this week that the refuge is awaiting final surveys and a comprehensive assessment of the buildings on the property. Although the possibilities remain open for the buildings, Feurt said the refuge has not yet decided what it will do with the buildings.

While the assessments are being completed, Feurt said the buildings are being maintained and the refuge does have the appropriate funds to continue maintenance there.

Power, in an editorial board meeting with the Journal Tribune, said that she would likely serve as the director of Timber Point Center to start, so she is in effect creating a job for herself with this venture. She is currently a caretaker for the Parsons family house, on an abutting lot to the Timber Point property, which the family retained.

It seems the board of the yet-to-be-created nonprofit should be the ones to decide who the director would be if such a project were to go forward, but even before that, U.S. Fish and Wildlife would have to agree to make this proposal a reality by giving Power permission to pursue it. That’s exactly what Power is now seeking, and while we wish her the best in her effort to preserve these buildings and create opportunities for people to learn more about Timber Point, a lot of questions remain unanswered.

While the future of Timber Point Center is unclear, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge would be well-served to make plans for the buildings and hopefully preserve and reuse them in the future, whether for retreats, education, research or other uses.

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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at [email protected].