TIMES RECORD • November 12, 2020
The owners of Freeport’s Desert of Maine are looking to transform the dunes from what one neighbor called a “rundown campground and low-end tourist attraction” to a vibrant ecological, educational and cultural destination. Doug and Mela Heestand, who purchased the property in late 2018, are in the midst of a multi-year, nearly $2.5 million Desert of Maine revamp and are seeking a town zoning change in the formation of a “Nature-Based and Art Overlay” district to help further their efforts.