PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 5, 2026
The Biddeford Zoning Board of Appeals has rejected an appeal by the University of New England to allow the school to cut down dozens of trees as part of its proposed Saco River pier project. UNE wanted to remove the 49 trees from its property to clear the path of the access road to the planned pier, university staff said. The university applied for a permit to clear the trees in March, which was initially denied by the city in April. Zoning board members said Monday that because of a moratorium adopted in January that pauses UNE developments for 180 days, the tree-cutting project could not move forward.