Neighbors raise ante in oyster fight | CapeCodOnline.com.
The Greedheads of Popponesset Bay will not go quietly as far as Richard Cook’s oyster farm is concerned . Having failed to sneak in a midnight amendment to the state budget to declare his underwater clam farm a “marine sanctuary,” they are falling back on that time-honored last resort of the wealthy which is to out-lawyer the little guy. Sort of like raising the bet in a poker game until everybody has to fold.
Having been denied by every Mashpee board with a horse in the race, the homeowners (a largely anonymous group who have hired Sandwich pettifogger Brian Wall to keep dragging things along), are now appealing to the State Supreme Judicial Court to kick the case to the Cape Cod Commission for their review because it is a commercial venture.
The appeals court already slapped Wall and his waterfront clients down when they said their objections are without claim because the project is outside of the town’s zoning authority because it is beyond the extreme low tide mark.
Three years and counting. And all over a clam farm.
Shellfish grants do much to reduce nitrogen loading in the estuaries — something that every town is eventually going to be required to do. How about a trade-off? The grant owner could agree to forego growing clams if the greed heads agree to forego using their septic tanks and stop applying fertilizers to their lawns. What the Hell, they could all hire Porta-Potties.
Where can I buy this guys oysters? Lets support him.
Oops. left out a couple of apostrophes.
How about a Fishing Tournament in their front yard ?