Select Board grants conditional approval for Jack Condon’s half‑acre oyster lease

The Dartmouth Select Board unanimously gave conditional approval to an aquaculture application from Jack Condon on July 13, allowing a proposed half‑acre oyster lease in the Slocums River to advance to state review.

At a public hearing, Condon told the board he plans a bottom‑set cage operation in an intertidal zone off the Cow Yard, using four to eight 3‑by‑4‑foot cages and starting with about 5,000 seed oysters. “I’ll be growing the American oyster,” he said, describing winter plans to remove gear and the option to overwinter stock at a state‑approved facility in Dennis if needed.

Harbour Master and Shellfish Constable Steve Mello briefed the board on regulatory next steps, emphasizing the town’s approval is conditional. “This is our fourth application received,” Mello said, and the state must conduct surveys for existing stock, eelgrass and water quality. He told the board the town may, at its discretion under local aquaculture regulations, require a bond or insurance to cover gear removal in a given case.

Board members probed operational details and safety: Condon said gear will be marked with yellow buoys and helix anchors, that cages should be exposed for about two hours at low tide, and that he will inspect and maintain gear frequently. He described relying on a network of experienced shellfish growers and a nearby marketing plan, and said oysters are expected to reach marketability by the second full growing season.

The board’s approval is conditional on departmental comments and the required state surveys and permits. The town’s action allows the application to move to the next stage of review by state regulators.