In Plymouth, Attorney Meg Sheehan of the Community Land and Water Coalition, a group dedicated to preserving the town’s drinking water, says she’s been hearing about an unlawful, unpermitted mining operation off of Long Pond Road at Joshua’s Way.
This is the proposed 18 acre site of the New Hope Chapel. So she asked the town’s Building Inspector, Nick Mayo, to enforce the by-law that prohibits illegal removal of sand and gravel— and he refused.
Attorney Meg Sheehan says this unlawful removal of sand and gravel, which along with trees, filter and protect the sole source drinking water aquifer, has a long history:
“This unlawful, unpermitted earth removal at this location has been going on since 2015. The residents have brought that to the town’s attention, abutters have had their property values degraded—the mining has gone up to the border of their properties.”
However, on November 8th, Sheehan says…“…the Building Inspector refused our request. He said, ‘no I’m not going to enforce the bylaw.’ And he did that under the process of the Zoning bylaw, sending us a letter. At that point we had 30 days to appeal that decision to the Zoning Board of Appeals”
And Sheehan did exactly that, requesting a public hearing…
“…which they must do and investigate these violations—that will be held probably in January at this point, and both sides, the Building Inspector, the sand and gravel operator, which is Sheava Development, and Scott Spencer, will have a chance to come in and present their evidence. We’ll present our photographs showing that the sand and gravel removal unlawfully went below grade, into the ground water—up to the property lines.”
According to Sheehan, the ZBA, at that point, “…will act like judges and decide who’s right and who’s wrong.”
In a phone call to Building Inspector Nick Mayo asking for a response to this appeal, he said: “a request for enforcement was received at the future site of New Hope Chapel by Meg Sheehan, it was denied.”
