There is still hope. Hope island is for sale.
https://www.privateislandsonline.com/united-states/maine/hope-island
https://www.newscentermaine.com/mobile/video/news/hope-island-for-sale/97-2663341
Turn it into a marijuana resort. Property taxes must be pretty high. Around $70k a year.
It was bought for 1.3 million in 1993, and something like 13 million was spent on improvements.
In a dispute over property taxes, the two part-time residents attempted but failed in a legislative effort to secede from the town of Cumberland.[4]
The town of Chebeague Island seceded from the town of Cumberland in 2007. I wonder how hard it would be to have Hope Island secede from Chebeague Island.
Chebeague Island was a part of the Town of Cumberland until July 1, 2007, when it seceded and became the Town of Chebeague Island.[5] The Town of Chebeague Island includes seventeen islands and their adjacent waters. These include the islands of Bangs, Bates, Hope, Ministerial, Sand, Stave, Stockman, and the tiny Upper Green Islands.
In the 2000 Census, the year-round resident population was 356. In the 2010 census, the townâs year-round population of 341.[6] The population is said to more than triple in the summer months.
The owner was hassled for shoreline zoning stuff not long ago. In Maine, even if a town has no zoning, there is still shoreline zoning.
https://bangordailynews.com/2013/08/22/business/wealthy-maine-island-owner-settles-legal-dispute-with-town-for-100000/
It all began last year when Code Enforcement Officer Ron Tozier received a tip from local fishermen that construction was taking place on Hope Island, within 75 feet of the high tide line. Soon afterward, Tozier and representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection and National Resource Protection Act traveled by boat to the private island, which lies about a half mile from the southeastern tip of Chebeague.
The inspectors tied up at the Hope Island dock, but they âwere refused admittance,â Tozier recalled.
Weeks later, the three men were finally allowed to inspect the island and they discovered four of the violations:
⢠On the south side of the island, the owners had constructed a path within 75 feet of the shore.
⢠Rip-rap walls were erected without permits or review by the town Planning Board.
⢠New construction on the southwestern portion of the island had commenced without a permit or board approval, and within 75 feet of the shore.
⢠A concrete pad for a pavilion was poured within the shoreline zone without necessary permits and approval.
The stateâs Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act requires âmunicipalities to adopt, administer, and enforce local ordinances that regulate land use activities in the shoreland zone. The shoreland zone is comprised of all land areas within 250 feet, horizontal distance,â of the high-tide line, according to the state website.
There has to be an island for sale somewhere with a low tax burden.
For a NH property, having some kind of private beach seems important if you want to attract people. I always feel like that is missing from Rodgers campground.