Select Board awards B2W aquaculture half‑acre to Gary Doolittle

The East Ham Select Board voted to grant the remaining B2 West half‑acre aquaculture license to Gary Doolittle after a public hearing May 18.

The board’s staff recommended awarding B2W to Doolittle based on leaseholder reports and a longer on‑site record, while noting Samuel “Sam” Carpenter is compliant and productive but has a shorter site history. “We would recommend Gary Doolittle based on his leaseholder reports and site history,” the staff presentation said.

Dwayne Dittle, speaking for Gary Doolittle, told the board the operation currently holds about 1.0 acre in Boat Meadow and 0.4 acre in Town Cove and has been operating continuously since 2020. “We have one acre at Boat Meadow and we have 0.4 acre in Town Cove,” Dwayne said, describing the existing footprint and capacity.

Sam Carpenter, who recently received a half‑acre award that brings him to one acre total, asked the board to consider that he has not yet begun working the newly awarded parcel and estimated it would take “about a year or two to actually fulfill that half acre.” He said he supports the board’s decision to give the half‑acre to a nearby, more established operator so he can continue building capacity on his existing sites.

After closing the public hearing, a board member moved and the board seconded a motion to grant the B2W half‑acre to Gary Doolittle; the motion passed unanimously. The board encouraged both producers to continue productive, compliant shellfish farming that supports the local shellfish economy.

The decision resolves the single remaining half‑acre parcel in the B2 division and leaves future expansions to be considered when additional parcels become available or when applicants provide further productive history.