Judge dismisses Golden Anchor challenge to Bar Harbor cruise rules
The company plans to appeal while a separate case concerning passenger disembarkation at Harborside Pier remains pending.
Business and Consumer Court Judge Michael Duddy on September 2 dismissed one of Golden Anchor’s challenges to Bar Harbor’s new rules governing the disembarkation of cruise passengers.
The dispute concerns Golden Anchor’s ability to bring cruise passengers ashore at its West Street property, Harborside Pier, which is also known as Golden Anchor Pier. The town’s new rules require a permit instead of the license previously held by the business.
Golden Anchor received a notice of violation for disembarking passengers without a permit. It appealed the notice to the Bar Harbor Appeals Board in December 2024, but the board rejected the challenge.
In seeking dismissal, Bar Harbor argued that Golden Anchor’s declaratory judgment claim substantially duplicated its ongoing appeal, including the underlying facts, allegations and requested relief. Duddy agreed, ruling that the pending Rule 80B appeal provided an adequate remedy and was the company’s exclusive path to judicial relief. He therefore dismissed the declaratory judgment action.
Bar Harbor Resorts operations director Eben Salvatore said Golden Anchor intended to appeal the decision. Despite the September 2 dismissal, another Golden Anchor case remains pending.