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Select Board approves 10-year renewal for Crooked Cove Sea Farm aquaculture grants
Summary
The Wareham Select Board voted unanimously May 5 to modify and renew a 10-year shellfish aquaculture license for Crooked Cove Sea Farm LLC, removing a prior co-owner and adding Pamela Reitsma; the grants total about 6.73 acres and cover 2026–2036 under chapter 130 §60 MGL.
The Wareham Select Board on May 5 approved a 10-year modification and renewal of a shellfish aquaculture license for Crooked Cove Sea Farm LLC, authorizing grants W4, W4½ and W5 that together cover about 6.73 acres.
Applicant Joshua Reitsma told the board he had been on the lease with Charles H. Maxim for about 10 years and said that after Maxim’s death Pamela Reitsma has taken on substantial management responsibilities. “We’re looking to sort of change the who’s on the lease for the for the future, in the next 10 years,” Reitsma said.
The board opened a public hearing, heard brief neighbor comments and a recommendation to approve from Mr. Buckminster, then closed the hearing and moved to grant the application under chapter 130, section 60 of the Massachusetts General Laws. The motion to approve—read into the record by the chair—specified removing Charles H. Maxim and adding Pamela Reitsma as co-owner/manager, changing the license name(s) to Crooked Cove Sea Farm LLC, and renewing the grant through 2036. The grants were described in the notice as totaling 6.73 acres, “more or less.”
The approval passed on a roll-call vote with board members recorded as Ms. Corbett (Aye), Mr. Gomes (Aye), Mr. Still (Aye), Mr. Chadwick (Aye) and the chair (Yes). Board members told the applicant the signed paperwork would be ready for pickup later in the week.
Why it matters: The decision transfers and consolidates shellfish lease responsibilities at a local aquaculture operation and preserves access to the designated grants for the next decade under state aquaculture law. The board recorded no conditions beyond the motion language and the standard administrative processing noted in the hearing notice.
Authorities and procedure: The hearing and approval were conducted under chapter 130, section 60 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the statute referenced in the public notice for aquaculture grant renewals. The board’s motion described the specific grants by their W-prefix identifiers and the 10-year renewal period (2026–2036).
What’s next: The applicant was instructed to collect the signed paperwork from the Select Board office; no additional follow-up or contingency was stated during the meeting.
