In a later suit brought by the bank, the court mandated a right-of-way over Burrell’s land to Route 195 on what is now a continuation of Grand Marsh Bay Road.

Roads Accepted

After much effort and legal expense the Association succeeded in getting the Town of Gouldsboro to acknowledge responsibility for maintaining some subdivision roads. A Special Town Meeting in 1989 voted to “reaccept” all portions of Paul Bunyan Road “previously accepted and/or maintained by the Town as a public way.” Deeds for Paul Bunyan Road (which had been obtained by Association members from the North Atlantic Land & Cattle Co. together with deeds of all other roads in the subdivision) were released to the Town, and in 1990 the first section of the road was paved. In 1994 Town Meeting voted to accept Peninsula Road, Roaring Brook Road, and Grand Marsh Bay Road (formerly Paul Bunyan Road West), and all remaining road deeds were turned over to the Town by the Association. Road improvements continued in increments with the last section of Grand Marsh Bay Road that is within the subdivision paved in the fall of 2005.

Association Formed

The Interim Association of Owners, Eastern Division, Corea by the Sea, was formed in 1972 to address issues of road maintenance, adherence to covenants, and access to the “reserve” lots. Later known as Friends of the Peninsula, the group unsuccessfully filed suit in Maine Superior Court to stay plans for a trailer court north of Acadia Oceanside Meadows Inn, then owned by the Burrells (it was never developed).

The current Paul Bunyan Road Association of land owners was formed in 1988 with 37 dues-paying members and Jean Deyoe as its first President, and incorporated in the State of Maine as a non-profit organization in 1989. The stated purpose of the organization was “… representing all persons owning on Paul Bunyan Road and all other roads within our subdivision” on issues of "the breaking of our covenants, road improvements, and maintenance.”

Covenants Challenged & Upheld

In 1998 Lowell & Co. purchased 625 acres of the Commons land, which adjoins many of the back lots of the Eastern Division and the Ranges, citing logging as the intended use. The following year Lowell & Co. also purchased Lot 35B with the intent to cut an access road from the large tract of land to Paul Bunyan Road so that logging trucks would not have to use the longer deeded right-of-way out to Peninsula Road. In 2000, after its requests to the Town to limit heavy truck access to Paul Bunyan Road for safety and maintenance reasons were rejected, the Association (under the leadership of Louellen Walsh who had been President of the Association since 1995) filed for an injunction against Lowell & Co. in Superior Court. The suit, brought by Prince and Goulet for the Association, cited violation of our protective covenants. Heard in 2001, the Superior Court judge ruled against Lowell by supporting the covenants. He stated that “… building the road would violate the covenants. Defendant is enjoined from building any road on its lot which is not for use in connection with a structure built in accordance with the covenants in said deed.” Lowell appealed the court decision. However, the decision was upheld in the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in 2002. Association members responded generously to requests for voluntary contributions to cover the considerable legal expenses of these lawsuits.