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Boat ramp parking uncertainty stalls
Diane Purnell voting against the motion. Commissioner Eric Fiori recused himself since he has a conflicting business interest.
A public hearing segment allowed residents and legal counsel to offer testimony to the legislation.
Under the current ordinance, the county code expresses no definition of “commercial users.” It says only that “commercial activities, including loading and unloading of produce, seafood, freight or merchandise” is prohibited.
A letter-of-the-law interpretation has never been enforced.
The proposed overhaul would define a “commercial user” as “an individual or entity using a county landing in a manner that is connected with or that furthers an ongoing profit-making activity.”
Unlike the existing ordinance, the proposal states that commercial uses are allowed, so long as they don’t create a conflict with the general boating public, interfere with recreational boater needs or risk damaging the landing or county property.
Ironically, the status quo is more favorable to some commercial users.
“For as long as there have been public boat ramps in Worcester County, those boat ramps have been used by a variety of commercial operators — trappers, hunting guides, fishing guides, marine contractors and marine service and sales business and owners,” said attorney Mark Cropper, representing charter captain Marc Spagnola.
“All of those … businesses have used the county boat ramps … to facilitate their businesses. To my knowledge, the only commercial operator to spend the time, effort and money to come before the commissioners to get a special-uses exemption is my client, Marc Spagnola. If I’m wrong on that, someone correct me.”
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Cropper referred to the special-use exemption that the commissioners granted Spagnola one year ago to use
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