About buried treasure in North America, history of Captain Kidd's treasure in Gardiners Island, account of previous searches and locations.
HANDY GUIDE TO BURIED TREASURE IN NORTH AMERICA
Captain Kidd's Treasure
Popularly stereotyped as a hang-'em-from-the-yardarms pirate, Capt. William Kidd was actually not a pirate in the true sense of the word. He turned to piracy--out of desperation--for only a brief time. However, the extent of his crime was exaggerated by British government officials, and Kidd was hanged. (See "Footnote People in World History," Chap. 7.) He allegedly buried treasure in several places.
Gardiners Island
How It Got There: In 1699 Kidd was in the Caribbean, carrying a cargo of gold, jewels, and silks, when he heard that he had been declared an outlaw. He immediately went to Gardiners Island, off New York's Long Island, where he buried a box of gold and a chest of other treasure 1 mi. from the manor house on the eastern end of the island. Then he started negotiating with Lord Bellamont, governor of New York, offering this treasure, worth more than pound 50,000, in exchange for his life. Later, after negotiations had failed and Kidd was hanged, at least part of this treasure was recovered.
Previous Searches: Many people have tried to find treasure on the island, which is still owned by the Gardiners, but have found nothing. The swampy section, where divers once hunted for the treasure, is now fenced off with barbed wire for safety reasons.
How to Get There: The island, sometimes called the Isle of Birds for the ospreys which nest there, is about 7 mi. long and 3 1/2 mi. wide. It lies off Long Island's north shore, near East Hampton.
Deer Isle
How It Got There: Before he was hanged, Kidd supposedly gave his wife Sarah a piece of parchment on which was written 44-10-66-18, later interpreted as the latitude and longitude of Deer Isle, Me.
Previous Searches: No treasure has yet been found on Deer Isle.
How to Get There: Travel to Belfast or Rockland on Penobscot Bay in Maine, then go by boat to the island.
Other Places
Connecticut--Clarke's Island in the Connecticut River; Stratford Point in Fairfield County. New York--Rye Beach; Captain Kidd's cave on the Hudson River; Fishers Island on the north end of Long Island Sound. Rhode Island--Block Island (where some old coins have been found). Maine--Richmond Island; Squirrel Island; Jewell's Island.
© 1975 - 1981 by David Wallechinsky & Irving Wallace
Reproduced with permission from "The People's Almanac" series of books.
All rights reserved.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
West of Eden Bed & Breakfast
Looking for a great place to stay in Seal Cove? Try our neighbor's place - West of Eden Bed and Breakfast. George and Regina have lovely restored a 1872 farm house, surrounded by flowers and organic vegetable gardens. All rooms are bright, airy and pretty with freshly cut flowers everywhere. You'll sleep in all-natural sheets, dried by the sun and wind, under down comforters on cool nights. You'll wake up to the aroma of freshly baked bread. They keep a vegetarian kitchen and gladly accommodate vegan, macrobiotic, gluten-free, fat-free and other special diets. They are located on the "quiet side" of Mount Desert Island near some of the loveliest and least traversed sites of Acadia National Park yet only thirty minutes from the bustling port of Bar Harbor. Hiking, swimming, canoeing or kayaking are just minutes away as well as nature cruises and mail-boat and ferry rides to nearby picturesque islands. Nearby Bass Harbor and Southwest Harbor, home to boat builders and fishermen, retain much of the traditional flavor of Maine coastal villages and provide a tranquil alternative to the Island's more traveled east side.
For reservations or information please contact them at:
West of Eden
P. O. Box 65 Route 102 & Kelleytown Road Seal Cove, ME 04674
Phone: 207-244-9695 Email: westofeden@acadia.net
For reservations or information please contact them at:
West of Eden
P. O. Box 65 Route 102 & Kelleytown Road Seal Cove, ME 04674
Phone: 207-244-9695 Email: westofeden@acadia.net
Visit the Seal Cove Auto Museum
The Seal Cove Auto Museum is one of the best antique brass car collections in the world. The collection includes over 100 rare and beautiful automobiles, and over 30 antique motorcycles.
Seal Cove Auto Museum is located in the Town of Seal Cove, Maine, near Bar Harbor on the spectacular island of Mount Desert. Its beautiful setting looks across Seal Cove Pond to Acadia National Park.
Seal Cove is approximately a three-hour drive from Portland, Maine, and about a one-hour drive from Bangor, Maine. Air service is provided by US Air Express from Boston to Bar Harbor on a daily basis.
To get to the museum, take Route 3 from Ellsworth toward Mount Desert Island. Just after the bridge onto Mt. Desert, bear right at the light onto Route 102 toward Southwest Harbor. After driving through the Town of Somesville, turn right just past the fire department onto Pretty Marsh Road and drive 5.8 miles. The Seal Cove Auto Museum is a large blue building, set back from the right side of the road, directly across from Seal Cove Pond.
The museum is open 10-5, seven days a week, from June 1 through September 15.
Telephone: (207) 244-9242
Seal Cove Auto Museum is located in the Town of Seal Cove, Maine, near Bar Harbor on the spectacular island of Mount Desert. Its beautiful setting looks across Seal Cove Pond to Acadia National Park.
Seal Cove is approximately a three-hour drive from Portland, Maine, and about a one-hour drive from Bangor, Maine. Air service is provided by US Air Express from Boston to Bar Harbor on a daily basis.
To get to the museum, take Route 3 from Ellsworth toward Mount Desert Island. Just after the bridge onto Mt. Desert, bear right at the light onto Route 102 toward Southwest Harbor. After driving through the Town of Somesville, turn right just past the fire department onto Pretty Marsh Road and drive 5.8 miles. The Seal Cove Auto Museum is a large blue building, set back from the right side of the road, directly across from Seal Cove Pond.
The museum is open 10-5, seven days a week, from June 1 through September 15.
Telephone: (207) 244-9242
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Sad Day in Seal Cove -- Singh Pier is approved
From the Bar Harbor Times:
by Laurie Schreiber
TREMONT - The intersection between an area's scenic view and its character was the heart of an emotional struggle between the Singh family and neighbors, during last Tuesday's four-hour planning board hearing on the Singh dock.
For some, the scenic splendor of a short stretch of unspoiled coastline, looking out to sea to find only nature's sunset, a seabird, a seal resting on a ledge, was something to be left untouched.
For the Singhs and at least a few other residents, nature's beauty does not necessarily mean excluding the sight of human presence. A tastefully designed dock, Pritam Singh said, is in keeping with the character of the cove, which already has seven other docks yet remains beautiful.
But the opposition said the other docks are largely out of sight, tucked into the cove's curves, and don't impinge on the view to sea.
"We love this cove," said Sylvia Paine Constable. "We're very attached to this area. The view means a lot to us, and I am of the opinion that a huge dock is not an amenity. If anything, it's an eyesore. I know I have an equally large dock, but my father built that dock in 1930 and it doesn't impinge on anyone's view."
"I think it is out of character for the area," agreed Wendy Fielding.
"Most people, I know, would prefer nothing to be there," said Mr. Singh. "I think we'll do something very beautiful. We'll really take care of that land. We'll really protect that land."
Mr. Singh presented drawings of the main house he plans to build on the property. He said he also met with Maine Coast Heritage Trust to work out a conservation easement for the property with a provision that will limit development to six houses.
He also stressed the dock size was minimized as much as possible because of his own wish to preserve the beauty of the area.
The board considered four standards the dock must meet. The fourth says the facility may be no larger than necessary and must be consistent with the area's existing conditions, use and character.
For the Singhs, CES engineer Greg Johnston said the idea behind the design was to minimize the fixed length portion and make the rest, as ramps and floats, removable. The total length is needed, he said, in order to provide enough draft for a boat at low tide. Compared with other piers around Tremont, he noted, the fixed portion will be on the shorter side. The cove's existing piers, he said, make the proposed one consistent with the area.
Other standards pertain to soils and erosion control; interference with developed beach areas; and effects on fisheries.
The opposition argued the pier and the supposition of moorings and boat traffic will impinge on lobster and crab fishing; possibly damage eelgrass as habitat and forage for marine life; and possibly interfere with the presence of important wildlife such as wading and seabirds.
Carroll Butler said by midsummer there will be 50 to 60 traps around the pier area. He said it's an important area for molting lobsters.
The Singhs argued the approval won from all other relevant permitting agencies - Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Marine Resources, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and Tremont's Harbor Committee, as well as new findings from Inland Fisheries and the Submerged Lands Program - essentially speaks for the project's minimal impact on essential fish or wildlife habitat, navigation, traditional fishing, and public access.
The Singhs also won a retraction of an affidavit asserting the family had cut down a tree with an eagle or osprey nest in it. Mr. Singh accused the abutters' attorney, Doug Chapman, of perpetuating a falsehood in order to get public support against the pier. Mr. Chapman said his filing was backed by the affidavit.
"I believe this board and this process has been abused," Mr. Singh said.
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologist Charles Todd, who flew over the area to check out the charge, wrote he witnessed no evidence that trees felled or topped on the property were useable by bald eagles, and the area is rated "low" habitat for nesting eagles.
"I regret that false claims are introduced to confound permitting decisions," Mr. Todd wrote. "Most do not know that you have indeed been a good steward of eagle nesting habitat at Tinker Island, and thus the irony of this accusation is doubly tragic."
Chairman George Urbanneck said he was concerned the application referred repeatedly to the use of the pier by multiple homeowners, yet only one home is on the property. The pier, he said, must be a secondary use, and the use stated is for multiple homes.
Since the pier will be built before multiple homes, he said, the timing makes it appear the pier will be primary.
Pritam Singh said the homes would be built one at a time. In any case, he said, the point is moot because the ordinance allows piers to be built for a single home's use.
Applicant Rob Egbert's attorney Michael Ross proposed amending the application to refer to a single residence. Town attorney James Collier agreed that move would be acceptable.
Mr. Libhart, whose frontage looks at the Singh shore, said he doesn't object to the project.
"What bothers me more than anything else is the cost of what's going on here," Mr. Libhart said, noting the town is overbudget on attorney fees at this point.
Mr. Libhart added: "What amazes me more than anything else is all the innuendoes and outright lies that have been told about the Singhs."
Planning Board member Wayne Patton said he didn't think the pier would make that big a scenic difference; he noted people stop at Southwest Harbor all the time, where there are plenty of piers, to take pictures.
"You can't judge a project by feelings, unfortunately - or fortunately," Mr. Patton said.
Mr. Urbanneck took an instructive page from the project's emotional tenor when he urged people to sign up for the Land Use Ordinance Committee, which has seats open.
Mr. Singh must return one more time for a flood hazard permit. n
by Laurie Schreiber
TREMONT - The intersection between an area's scenic view and its character was the heart of an emotional struggle between the Singh family and neighbors, during last Tuesday's four-hour planning board hearing on the Singh dock.
For some, the scenic splendor of a short stretch of unspoiled coastline, looking out to sea to find only nature's sunset, a seabird, a seal resting on a ledge, was something to be left untouched.
For the Singhs and at least a few other residents, nature's beauty does not necessarily mean excluding the sight of human presence. A tastefully designed dock, Pritam Singh said, is in keeping with the character of the cove, which already has seven other docks yet remains beautiful.
But the opposition said the other docks are largely out of sight, tucked into the cove's curves, and don't impinge on the view to sea.
"We love this cove," said Sylvia Paine Constable. "We're very attached to this area. The view means a lot to us, and I am of the opinion that a huge dock is not an amenity. If anything, it's an eyesore. I know I have an equally large dock, but my father built that dock in 1930 and it doesn't impinge on anyone's view."
"I think it is out of character for the area," agreed Wendy Fielding.
"Most people, I know, would prefer nothing to be there," said Mr. Singh. "I think we'll do something very beautiful. We'll really take care of that land. We'll really protect that land."
Mr. Singh presented drawings of the main house he plans to build on the property. He said he also met with Maine Coast Heritage Trust to work out a conservation easement for the property with a provision that will limit development to six houses.
He also stressed the dock size was minimized as much as possible because of his own wish to preserve the beauty of the area.
The board considered four standards the dock must meet. The fourth says the facility may be no larger than necessary and must be consistent with the area's existing conditions, use and character.
For the Singhs, CES engineer Greg Johnston said the idea behind the design was to minimize the fixed length portion and make the rest, as ramps and floats, removable. The total length is needed, he said, in order to provide enough draft for a boat at low tide. Compared with other piers around Tremont, he noted, the fixed portion will be on the shorter side. The cove's existing piers, he said, make the proposed one consistent with the area.
Other standards pertain to soils and erosion control; interference with developed beach areas; and effects on fisheries.
The opposition argued the pier and the supposition of moorings and boat traffic will impinge on lobster and crab fishing; possibly damage eelgrass as habitat and forage for marine life; and possibly interfere with the presence of important wildlife such as wading and seabirds.
Carroll Butler said by midsummer there will be 50 to 60 traps around the pier area. He said it's an important area for molting lobsters.
The Singhs argued the approval won from all other relevant permitting agencies - Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Marine Resources, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and Tremont's Harbor Committee, as well as new findings from Inland Fisheries and the Submerged Lands Program - essentially speaks for the project's minimal impact on essential fish or wildlife habitat, navigation, traditional fishing, and public access.
The Singhs also won a retraction of an affidavit asserting the family had cut down a tree with an eagle or osprey nest in it. Mr. Singh accused the abutters' attorney, Doug Chapman, of perpetuating a falsehood in order to get public support against the pier. Mr. Chapman said his filing was backed by the affidavit.
"I believe this board and this process has been abused," Mr. Singh said.
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologist Charles Todd, who flew over the area to check out the charge, wrote he witnessed no evidence that trees felled or topped on the property were useable by bald eagles, and the area is rated "low" habitat for nesting eagles.
"I regret that false claims are introduced to confound permitting decisions," Mr. Todd wrote. "Most do not know that you have indeed been a good steward of eagle nesting habitat at Tinker Island, and thus the irony of this accusation is doubly tragic."
Chairman George Urbanneck said he was concerned the application referred repeatedly to the use of the pier by multiple homeowners, yet only one home is on the property. The pier, he said, must be a secondary use, and the use stated is for multiple homes.
Since the pier will be built before multiple homes, he said, the timing makes it appear the pier will be primary.
Pritam Singh said the homes would be built one at a time. In any case, he said, the point is moot because the ordinance allows piers to be built for a single home's use.
Applicant Rob Egbert's attorney Michael Ross proposed amending the application to refer to a single residence. Town attorney James Collier agreed that move would be acceptable.
Mr. Libhart, whose frontage looks at the Singh shore, said he doesn't object to the project.
"What bothers me more than anything else is the cost of what's going on here," Mr. Libhart said, noting the town is overbudget on attorney fees at this point.
Mr. Libhart added: "What amazes me more than anything else is all the innuendoes and outright lies that have been told about the Singhs."
Planning Board member Wayne Patton said he didn't think the pier would make that big a scenic difference; he noted people stop at Southwest Harbor all the time, where there are plenty of piers, to take pictures.
"You can't judge a project by feelings, unfortunately - or fortunately," Mr. Patton said.
Mr. Urbanneck took an instructive page from the project's emotional tenor when he urged people to sign up for the Land Use Ordinance Committee, which has seats open.
Mr. Singh must return one more time for a flood hazard permit. n
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Look What's Parked In Northeast Harbor This Week
Palmer Johnson
There is probably no better definition of an expedition yacht than Turmoil, the 151-footer from this prestigious Wisconsin yard. In the first year after her launching in 1996, she covered more than 18,000 miles including two transatlantic crossings as far east as Croatia, north to Greenland, and south to the Amazon.
Drawing on the lines of ocean-going tugs and built of aluminum to the design of Dick Boon of Vripack International, the yacht has many of the systems you'd expect on a 1000-footer, including a highly sophisticated hydraulic system and water ballast tanks to compensate for the use of her 25,800 gallon fuel capacity. Interestingly enough, with her tremendous range, Turmoil only had to refuel once during her long maiden voyage. With complete redundancy, Turmoil can remain self-sufficient for months at a time, and even has an airtight dry goods pantry that can be sealed and flooded with CO2 gas to kill most of the bacteria and viruses from stores brought on board.
The finely finished cherry and French walnut interior has accommodations for 12 in the owner's party, including a master suite that takes up the entire upper deck. The main deck is spacious, with a formal dining room, library with hundreds of volumes, and immense saloon.
With a pair of Cat 3508s (800 horsepower), Turmoil has a top speed of over 15 knots and a 10,000 mile range at 12 knots. The wheelhouse is arranged with a freestanding console, giving access to the electronics as well as the forward windows. The crew quarters and galley are arranged so that the crew has private access without disturbing the guests.
#79 in America'a biggest 200 yachts from Power & Motoryacht magazine.
79. TURMOIL
151'0" 1996 A successful clothing retailer has had this blue-hulled beauty on the go so much over the past five years—she was in the Arctic this summer—that essentially the only time she’s sat still was during refueling. Turmoil was the first purpose-built expedition-style yacht of the 1990s, a style that’s still quite popular. B: Palmer Johnson, USA; N: Dick Boon/Vripack Yachting; H: Aluminum; E: 2/820-hp Caterpillars
There is probably no better definition of an expedition yacht than Turmoil, the 151-footer from this prestigious Wisconsin yard. In the first year after her launching in 1996, she covered more than 18,000 miles including two transatlantic crossings as far east as Croatia, north to Greenland, and south to the Amazon.
Drawing on the lines of ocean-going tugs and built of aluminum to the design of Dick Boon of Vripack International, the yacht has many of the systems you'd expect on a 1000-footer, including a highly sophisticated hydraulic system and water ballast tanks to compensate for the use of her 25,800 gallon fuel capacity. Interestingly enough, with her tremendous range, Turmoil only had to refuel once during her long maiden voyage. With complete redundancy, Turmoil can remain self-sufficient for months at a time, and even has an airtight dry goods pantry that can be sealed and flooded with CO2 gas to kill most of the bacteria and viruses from stores brought on board.
The finely finished cherry and French walnut interior has accommodations for 12 in the owner's party, including a master suite that takes up the entire upper deck. The main deck is spacious, with a formal dining room, library with hundreds of volumes, and immense saloon.
With a pair of Cat 3508s (800 horsepower), Turmoil has a top speed of over 15 knots and a 10,000 mile range at 12 knots. The wheelhouse is arranged with a freestanding console, giving access to the electronics as well as the forward windows. The crew quarters and galley are arranged so that the crew has private access without disturbing the guests.
#79 in America'a biggest 200 yachts from Power & Motoryacht magazine.
79. TURMOIL
151'0" 1996 A successful clothing retailer has had this blue-hulled beauty on the go so much over the past five years—she was in the Arctic this summer—that essentially the only time she’s sat still was during refueling. Turmoil was the first purpose-built expedition-style yacht of the 1990s, a style that’s still quite popular. B: Palmer Johnson, USA; N: Dick Boon/Vripack Yachting; H: Aluminum; E: 2/820-hp Caterpillars
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Keep Island Post Offices Alive
Maine island post offices fight for survival
by STEVE CARTWRIGHT
If the U.S. Postal Service tries to close island post offices in Maine, it better brace itself. "I'll tell you, the people here are very vocal," said Barbara Hoppin, the school principal on Peaks Island. "It's important to our school, and important to our community."
If Peaks islanders had to take the ferry into Portland's main post office to transact business, it would add traffic and longer lines, and might be less efficient than the small branch office on island.
Besides the business side, island post offices offer a meeting place for residents, and are a source of information for visitors. "It is a place where people gather. Everyone knows Bob [Swett, the postmaster]," Hoppin said.
The Postal Service won't say whether it plans to close and consolidate small post offices in Maine, but a presidential commission is expected to recommend that the federal mail service be run like a corporation, where the bottom line rules policy.
Regional postal service official Christine Dugas said she has no knowledge of any proposed closures, "no list, no plan." Postmasters Anna Dyer of Cliff Island and Theresa Burrows of North Haven were reluctant to discuss possible closings or consolidation, but said they had heard nothing about the future of their own post offices. The commission's recommendations are expected soon.
Peaks postmaster Bob Swett said he hasn't heard a word about closure, but he isn't worried about it. He doubts the postal service could make a case for closing his office when the summer round-trip ferry fare to Portland is $65, "and there's a lot of elderly and disabled people out here who couldn't make the trip."
Swett said that if islanders learn their post office is on a closure list, "they'll go ballistic." Swett, who's nearing retirement himself, said he likes working in a place where he can leave a note on the door and go next door to Hannigan's Island Market for coffee, and he can let a customer in during his lunch break even though the office is closed.
Islanders depend on their local postmasters, even if the office is just a shack. Whether it's Cliff Island in Casco Bay or Maine's outermost year-round island, Matinicus, residents count on local service. It's personal and it's sociable. Post-masters and their patrons agree that little post offices are a big part of island life, and closing any of them would destroy some of that vitality.
Wanda Philbrook, postmaster on Matinicus, said closing her office "would really hurt this island a lot. People have computers and phone cards, but I don't think there is anything like the post office. People come in just to socialize for half an hour." Matinicus no longer has a store, and the post office is a place to be neighborly, especially during long winter months when the island population shrinks. The 9 a.m. mail comes by plane from Owls Head, but not if it's foggy. In that case, you either wait till it clears, or see if a fisherman is going inshore and could bring the mail sack out to the island.
Besides handling island letters and packages five days a week, Philbrook does a strong stamps-by-mail business, where customers around the country buy stamps through her office, mailed to them at no extra cost. The postmaster has made some pen pals this way, since customers often include a friendly note.
From January to April, Matinicus is served by one ferry trip per month, and that's subject to cancellation. Philbrook can't imagine closing the post office. "This is what's keeping the community together."
For further information about purchasing Stamps-by-Mail to help island post offices, see the Island Institute's website at www.islandinstitute.org/stamps.
-- September 2003
by STEVE CARTWRIGHT
If the U.S. Postal Service tries to close island post offices in Maine, it better brace itself. "I'll tell you, the people here are very vocal," said Barbara Hoppin, the school principal on Peaks Island. "It's important to our school, and important to our community."
If Peaks islanders had to take the ferry into Portland's main post office to transact business, it would add traffic and longer lines, and might be less efficient than the small branch office on island.
Besides the business side, island post offices offer a meeting place for residents, and are a source of information for visitors. "It is a place where people gather. Everyone knows Bob [Swett, the postmaster]," Hoppin said.
The Postal Service won't say whether it plans to close and consolidate small post offices in Maine, but a presidential commission is expected to recommend that the federal mail service be run like a corporation, where the bottom line rules policy.
Regional postal service official Christine Dugas said she has no knowledge of any proposed closures, "no list, no plan." Postmasters Anna Dyer of Cliff Island and Theresa Burrows of North Haven were reluctant to discuss possible closings or consolidation, but said they had heard nothing about the future of their own post offices. The commission's recommendations are expected soon.
Peaks postmaster Bob Swett said he hasn't heard a word about closure, but he isn't worried about it. He doubts the postal service could make a case for closing his office when the summer round-trip ferry fare to Portland is $65, "and there's a lot of elderly and disabled people out here who couldn't make the trip."
Swett said that if islanders learn their post office is on a closure list, "they'll go ballistic." Swett, who's nearing retirement himself, said he likes working in a place where he can leave a note on the door and go next door to Hannigan's Island Market for coffee, and he can let a customer in during his lunch break even though the office is closed.
Islanders depend on their local postmasters, even if the office is just a shack. Whether it's Cliff Island in Casco Bay or Maine's outermost year-round island, Matinicus, residents count on local service. It's personal and it's sociable. Post-masters and their patrons agree that little post offices are a big part of island life, and closing any of them would destroy some of that vitality.
Wanda Philbrook, postmaster on Matinicus, said closing her office "would really hurt this island a lot. People have computers and phone cards, but I don't think there is anything like the post office. People come in just to socialize for half an hour." Matinicus no longer has a store, and the post office is a place to be neighborly, especially during long winter months when the island population shrinks. The 9 a.m. mail comes by plane from Owls Head, but not if it's foggy. In that case, you either wait till it clears, or see if a fisherman is going inshore and could bring the mail sack out to the island.
Besides handling island letters and packages five days a week, Philbrook does a strong stamps-by-mail business, where customers around the country buy stamps through her office, mailed to them at no extra cost. The postmaster has made some pen pals this way, since customers often include a friendly note.
From January to April, Matinicus is served by one ferry trip per month, and that's subject to cancellation. Philbrook can't imagine closing the post office. "This is what's keeping the community together."
For further information about purchasing Stamps-by-Mail to help island post offices, see the Island Institute's website at www.islandinstitute.org/stamps.
-- September 2003
Developer cut eagle nest tree, filing says
MDI ISLANDER JUNE 16TH, 2005
Developer cut eagle nest tree, filing says
by Mark Good
TREMONT — The owners of properties abutting the site of a controversial pier proposed for Seal Cove have asked the Maine Board of Environmental Protection to reconsider a permit for the project granted by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Members of the Paine family, through their lawyer, Doug Chapman, have requested the board assume jurisdiction from the DEP and hold a public hearing on the permit by rule accepted by the department on Jan. 18.
In documents filed with the board June 6, Mr. Chapman argues that the pier applicant, Rob Egbert, violated conditions of the DEP application and misrepresented or failed to fully disclose the facts in the application and associated submissions.
Mr. Chapman maintains that Mr. Egbert has violated the conditions of the application in two ways.
First, Mr. Egbert and/or his agents have cut vegetation on the 23-acre Seal Cove property in violation of DEP regulations, Mr. Chapman writes. Specifically, a 36-inch diameter spruce tree containing an eagle or osprey nest was cut down along the shore. An affidavit included in the filing indicates a second tree — 24 inches in diameter — was also cut down within the shoreland zone.
Secondly, Mr. Chapman claims that Mr. Egbert has failed to show “continuing right, title and interest in the property” since the DEP permit application was filed. Mr. Egbert’s standing on the application was based on a purchase/sale agreement he had with the estate of Joan E. Fisher. However, when the sale was completed in April, the owners of record were developer Pritam Singh and his wife, Ann Johnston. Mr. Egbert has since been identified as the couple’s future son-in-law. On May 26 Mr. Egbert and his fiancée, Charan Kaur, were conveyed a 13 percent interest in the property.
The issue of Mr. Egbert’s standing was discussed at a recent Tremont planning board meeting. The planning board, after consulting with the town’s attorney, determined that Mr. Egbert retained his standing for the application before the town.
Mr. Chapman, in his filing, interprets state law as to require Mr. Egbert to disclose “all relevant facts” regarding the permit by rule application, not just those that are favorable to his project. Due to the “truncated and speedy” permitting allowed under the permit by rule process, the applicant has a duty to make a complete disclosure of all relevant facts and must either conduct a good faith investigation into determining what is relevant to the application or note the absence of such an effort. Mr. Chapman maintains Mr. Egbert failed to do so.
As an example of this failure of Mr. Egbert’s part, Mr. Chapman has included in his filing assessment studies conducted by environmental consultants regarding wildlife found in the area of the proposed pier. One study shows that the area is considered a significant wildlife habitat under the Maine Natural Resources Protection Act. Another study shows the area at the end of the proposed dock is of high habitat value. Mr. Egbert’s application lacks any mention of these environmental considerations, according to Mr. Chapman.
Mr. Chapman also disputes Mr. Egbert’s contention in his permit by rule application that the proposed pier conforms to any local shoreland zoning ordinance. He writes that, at the time the application was filed, “it was virtually impossible for anyone to conclude whether or not the proposed activity” would be in conformance with local ordinances.
In a related matter, Mr. Singh did not meet with Maine Coast Heritage Trust to discuss a conservation easement for the Seal Cove property as he said he would at a June 7 public hearing in Tremont.
“He said his schedule changed and he had to reschedule,” David MacDonald, the trust’s director of land protection said this week.
Mr. MacDonald said Mr. Singh plans to meet with trust officials some time next week.
“Maine Coast Heritage Trust thinks it’s an important property,” he said, adding that at one time the trust had been working with the previous owner, Mrs. Fisher, to establish an easement.
An easement on the Singh property would add additional protection to the area, Mr. MacDonald said. The Paine family has put about 250 acres adjacent to the Singh property into a conservation easement. In addition, Acadia National Park has a 50-acre easement on Dodge Point, across the cove from the proposed pier, Mr. MacDonald said.
Putting land into a conservation easement is a lengthy process, Mr. MacDonald said. First, the trust looks carefully at the property to size up the resource and ensure it will provide important benefits to the public.
“In the case of [the Singh] property, we know it does,” he said.
Then, the trust looks at the impact conservation will have and works with the landowner to determine what type of uses the easement should allow. The trust and landowner jointly develop the easement.
The pier will be the subject of another planning board public hearing, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 21 at the Tremont Community Center. The June 7 public hearing was cut short after the planning board granted the applicant a continuance.
Developer cut eagle nest tree, filing says
by Mark Good
TREMONT — The owners of properties abutting the site of a controversial pier proposed for Seal Cove have asked the Maine Board of Environmental Protection to reconsider a permit for the project granted by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Members of the Paine family, through their lawyer, Doug Chapman, have requested the board assume jurisdiction from the DEP and hold a public hearing on the permit by rule accepted by the department on Jan. 18.
In documents filed with the board June 6, Mr. Chapman argues that the pier applicant, Rob Egbert, violated conditions of the DEP application and misrepresented or failed to fully disclose the facts in the application and associated submissions.
Mr. Chapman maintains that Mr. Egbert has violated the conditions of the application in two ways.
First, Mr. Egbert and/or his agents have cut vegetation on the 23-acre Seal Cove property in violation of DEP regulations, Mr. Chapman writes. Specifically, a 36-inch diameter spruce tree containing an eagle or osprey nest was cut down along the shore. An affidavit included in the filing indicates a second tree — 24 inches in diameter — was also cut down within the shoreland zone.
Secondly, Mr. Chapman claims that Mr. Egbert has failed to show “continuing right, title and interest in the property” since the DEP permit application was filed. Mr. Egbert’s standing on the application was based on a purchase/sale agreement he had with the estate of Joan E. Fisher. However, when the sale was completed in April, the owners of record were developer Pritam Singh and his wife, Ann Johnston. Mr. Egbert has since been identified as the couple’s future son-in-law. On May 26 Mr. Egbert and his fiancée, Charan Kaur, were conveyed a 13 percent interest in the property.
The issue of Mr. Egbert’s standing was discussed at a recent Tremont planning board meeting. The planning board, after consulting with the town’s attorney, determined that Mr. Egbert retained his standing for the application before the town.
Mr. Chapman, in his filing, interprets state law as to require Mr. Egbert to disclose “all relevant facts” regarding the permit by rule application, not just those that are favorable to his project. Due to the “truncated and speedy” permitting allowed under the permit by rule process, the applicant has a duty to make a complete disclosure of all relevant facts and must either conduct a good faith investigation into determining what is relevant to the application or note the absence of such an effort. Mr. Chapman maintains Mr. Egbert failed to do so.
As an example of this failure of Mr. Egbert’s part, Mr. Chapman has included in his filing assessment studies conducted by environmental consultants regarding wildlife found in the area of the proposed pier. One study shows that the area is considered a significant wildlife habitat under the Maine Natural Resources Protection Act. Another study shows the area at the end of the proposed dock is of high habitat value. Mr. Egbert’s application lacks any mention of these environmental considerations, according to Mr. Chapman.
Mr. Chapman also disputes Mr. Egbert’s contention in his permit by rule application that the proposed pier conforms to any local shoreland zoning ordinance. He writes that, at the time the application was filed, “it was virtually impossible for anyone to conclude whether or not the proposed activity” would be in conformance with local ordinances.
In a related matter, Mr. Singh did not meet with Maine Coast Heritage Trust to discuss a conservation easement for the Seal Cove property as he said he would at a June 7 public hearing in Tremont.
“He said his schedule changed and he had to reschedule,” David MacDonald, the trust’s director of land protection said this week.
Mr. MacDonald said Mr. Singh plans to meet with trust officials some time next week.
“Maine Coast Heritage Trust thinks it’s an important property,” he said, adding that at one time the trust had been working with the previous owner, Mrs. Fisher, to establish an easement.
An easement on the Singh property would add additional protection to the area, Mr. MacDonald said. The Paine family has put about 250 acres adjacent to the Singh property into a conservation easement. In addition, Acadia National Park has a 50-acre easement on Dodge Point, across the cove from the proposed pier, Mr. MacDonald said.
Putting land into a conservation easement is a lengthy process, Mr. MacDonald said. First, the trust looks carefully at the property to size up the resource and ensure it will provide important benefits to the public.
“In the case of [the Singh] property, we know it does,” he said.
Then, the trust looks at the impact conservation will have and works with the landowner to determine what type of uses the easement should allow. The trust and landowner jointly develop the easement.
The pier will be the subject of another planning board public hearing, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 21 at the Tremont Community Center. The June 7 public hearing was cut short after the planning board granted the applicant a continuance.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Singh: pier for family use
by Laurie Schreiber Bar Harbor Times
TREMONT - Pritam Singh called for civil conversation rather than personal attack as the application for a pier in Seal Cove moves forward.
Mr. Singh was present at a hearing on the pier with his wife, Anne Johnston, his adult children, Charnan Kaur and Tyler Reynolds, soon-to-be son-in-law Rob Egbert, and Ms. Johnston's parents, as well as the family's representatives on the pier project.
Making a move toward calming neighborhood fears about the future of the land, Mr. Singh promised he would build only for the family.
He said he was meeting later in the week with Maine Coast Heritage Trust to work out an agreement to put a conservation easement on the land with an allowance for a maximum of six houses - one main house plus five smaller cottages for the children.
"That's what we're going to do," he said. "I am going on record with that. I'm doing that because it's the right thing to do."
Mr. Singh said he would submit plans and an application for the first house before the next hearing on the pier.
Planning Board chairman George Urbanneck said he appreciated Mr. Singh's forthrightness, but added, "May I say, 'finally.'"
"I didn't tell you because I didn't know," Mr. Singh responded.
As to the pier project, Mr. Singh asked for a continuance of the hearing in order to give his representatives a chance to respond to a couple hundred pages of documents that were submitted to the Planning Board on the day and within days of the hearing.
"We're here, all of us together, because this is an important matter to us," Mr. Singh told the Planning Board and a packed room of about 30 people. "Not an important financial matter, but an important personal matter."
Mr. Singh said a pier is needed in order to shorten travel time from their home on Tinker Island to the mainland, in light of a medical emergency last summer, when his wife almost died and had to take the longer way around to Bass Harbor to meet an ambulance.
He and his wife, their families going back in Maine for generations, are devoted to the coast, he said; on Tinker Island, they put a conservation easement on the northern half, now owned by Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
"We intend to do the same sort of thing here," he said of the Seal Cove property. "I don't understand why this has turned into what it has. If the issue is lobsters or something else, let's talk about it. It's not right to call me and my family names."
Mr. Singh said he is eager to talk with anyone who has concerns about the pier.
"Let's be friends, let's be neighbors," he said. "Tremont, Maine, is not a place where, over a dock, we should be creating hate and anger."
Peter Butler, who has strongly objected to the pier, said he would gladly talk with Mr. Singh, but that he remained opposed to the "ungodly pier."
"Everybody else uses a dinghy," Mr. Butler told Mr. Singh.
Mr. Butler, in a June 6 affidavit taken by the abutters' attorney Doug Chapman, said his family has lived in the Seal Cove area for 150 years and his family at one point owned all of the property where the pier is proposed. Mr. Butler has a mooring in Seal Cove.
"I am in the Seal Cove area almost daily," he said, "and have used the beaches there along Seal Cove all my life. I have harvested clams and mussels there in Seal Cove throughout my life, and as recently as last fall."
Mr. Butler said the area has many osprey, eagles and loons; lobster traps are set close to the proposed pier; and the pier will substantially interfere with the area's scenery. He said the town's boat ramp is accessible except at the lowest one-third of the tide, at which time boaters reach the ramp by dinghy.
"It is remarkably easy to get access to that town float, even at the lowest tide, with a dinghy or a pram," Mr. Butler said.
Mr. Butler later said he was satisfied with Mr. Singh's plans for a family compound, but remained unhappy with the pier.
"I had my first slice of watermelon on that beach," he said. "Am I going to drive down there with my fiancée and my mother and not be able to see the sunset? The older I get, the more concerned I get about our coastline, about runoff, about development. I don't want to see future generations pushed off the coast."
New documents before the Planning Board included filings from Mr. Chapman that question the timeliness of the application, Mr. Egbert's interest in the property, and the town of Tremont's jurisdiction on the matter; articles plucked from the internet about prior Singh dealings; and pro and con letters from residents.
They received two petitions made to the board of selectmen, asking them to place articles before voters to deny the pier "on the basis of irreparable change to the Seal Cove shoreline Š." and to deny the "proposed subdivisionŠon the basis of excessive traffic, which will be generated by such a subdivision that cannot be handled by the existing Cape Road Š." Each petition had more than 60 signatures.
And they received two commissioned studies of the shoreline and subtidal environment in the area of the pier. University of Maine marine ecology professor Brian Beal's June 3 report on benthic fauna and macroalgae, surveyed on June 2 by a diver who was instructed to dive within the footprint of the proposed pier, provides a site description and list of species in the area. Woodlot Alternatives, environmental consultants, provided a June 3 field assessment to Mr. Chapman with a general description of the shoreline environment and wildlife. Both reports find the area important for supporting and protecting many species; neither discusses potential pier impacts. However, Woodlot Alternatives says much of the Seal Cove coastline is considered significant wildlife habitat under the Maine Natural Resource Protection Act.
In a June 3 memo, town attorney James Collier told the board that, in considering the pier application, they must decide whether there is sufficient evidence that the pier is no larger than it needs to be to fulfill its intended purpose; and that is not so large that it will interfere with the existing conditions, use, and character of the area.
Egbert attorney Michael Ross said he wanted time to review the documents.
Mr. Urbanneck said the board had accepted the late documents as a courtesy, but put all parties on notice that, in the future, documents must be submitted at least seven days before a hearing.
"At this point," said Mr. Urbanneck, "I feel the waters are so muddied that we have to step back to take a deep breath in the next couple of weeks."
The board agreed to grant the continuance, within the original 35-day timeframe allowed by the application process. The hearing was set for Tuesday, June 21, 6:30 p.m., in the gym.
The Singhs themselves will not be present at that meeting because their daughter's wedding is that weekend. n
TREMONT - Pritam Singh called for civil conversation rather than personal attack as the application for a pier in Seal Cove moves forward.
Mr. Singh was present at a hearing on the pier with his wife, Anne Johnston, his adult children, Charnan Kaur and Tyler Reynolds, soon-to-be son-in-law Rob Egbert, and Ms. Johnston's parents, as well as the family's representatives on the pier project.
Making a move toward calming neighborhood fears about the future of the land, Mr. Singh promised he would build only for the family.
He said he was meeting later in the week with Maine Coast Heritage Trust to work out an agreement to put a conservation easement on the land with an allowance for a maximum of six houses - one main house plus five smaller cottages for the children.
"That's what we're going to do," he said. "I am going on record with that. I'm doing that because it's the right thing to do."
Mr. Singh said he would submit plans and an application for the first house before the next hearing on the pier.
Planning Board chairman George Urbanneck said he appreciated Mr. Singh's forthrightness, but added, "May I say, 'finally.'"
"I didn't tell you because I didn't know," Mr. Singh responded.
As to the pier project, Mr. Singh asked for a continuance of the hearing in order to give his representatives a chance to respond to a couple hundred pages of documents that were submitted to the Planning Board on the day and within days of the hearing.
"We're here, all of us together, because this is an important matter to us," Mr. Singh told the Planning Board and a packed room of about 30 people. "Not an important financial matter, but an important personal matter."
Mr. Singh said a pier is needed in order to shorten travel time from their home on Tinker Island to the mainland, in light of a medical emergency last summer, when his wife almost died and had to take the longer way around to Bass Harbor to meet an ambulance.
He and his wife, their families going back in Maine for generations, are devoted to the coast, he said; on Tinker Island, they put a conservation easement on the northern half, now owned by Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
"We intend to do the same sort of thing here," he said of the Seal Cove property. "I don't understand why this has turned into what it has. If the issue is lobsters or something else, let's talk about it. It's not right to call me and my family names."
Mr. Singh said he is eager to talk with anyone who has concerns about the pier.
"Let's be friends, let's be neighbors," he said. "Tremont, Maine, is not a place where, over a dock, we should be creating hate and anger."
Peter Butler, who has strongly objected to the pier, said he would gladly talk with Mr. Singh, but that he remained opposed to the "ungodly pier."
"Everybody else uses a dinghy," Mr. Butler told Mr. Singh.
Mr. Butler, in a June 6 affidavit taken by the abutters' attorney Doug Chapman, said his family has lived in the Seal Cove area for 150 years and his family at one point owned all of the property where the pier is proposed. Mr. Butler has a mooring in Seal Cove.
"I am in the Seal Cove area almost daily," he said, "and have used the beaches there along Seal Cove all my life. I have harvested clams and mussels there in Seal Cove throughout my life, and as recently as last fall."
Mr. Butler said the area has many osprey, eagles and loons; lobster traps are set close to the proposed pier; and the pier will substantially interfere with the area's scenery. He said the town's boat ramp is accessible except at the lowest one-third of the tide, at which time boaters reach the ramp by dinghy.
"It is remarkably easy to get access to that town float, even at the lowest tide, with a dinghy or a pram," Mr. Butler said.
Mr. Butler later said he was satisfied with Mr. Singh's plans for a family compound, but remained unhappy with the pier.
"I had my first slice of watermelon on that beach," he said. "Am I going to drive down there with my fiancée and my mother and not be able to see the sunset? The older I get, the more concerned I get about our coastline, about runoff, about development. I don't want to see future generations pushed off the coast."
New documents before the Planning Board included filings from Mr. Chapman that question the timeliness of the application, Mr. Egbert's interest in the property, and the town of Tremont's jurisdiction on the matter; articles plucked from the internet about prior Singh dealings; and pro and con letters from residents.
They received two petitions made to the board of selectmen, asking them to place articles before voters to deny the pier "on the basis of irreparable change to the Seal Cove shoreline Š." and to deny the "proposed subdivisionŠon the basis of excessive traffic, which will be generated by such a subdivision that cannot be handled by the existing Cape Road Š." Each petition had more than 60 signatures.
And they received two commissioned studies of the shoreline and subtidal environment in the area of the pier. University of Maine marine ecology professor Brian Beal's June 3 report on benthic fauna and macroalgae, surveyed on June 2 by a diver who was instructed to dive within the footprint of the proposed pier, provides a site description and list of species in the area. Woodlot Alternatives, environmental consultants, provided a June 3 field assessment to Mr. Chapman with a general description of the shoreline environment and wildlife. Both reports find the area important for supporting and protecting many species; neither discusses potential pier impacts. However, Woodlot Alternatives says much of the Seal Cove coastline is considered significant wildlife habitat under the Maine Natural Resource Protection Act.
In a June 3 memo, town attorney James Collier told the board that, in considering the pier application, they must decide whether there is sufficient evidence that the pier is no larger than it needs to be to fulfill its intended purpose; and that is not so large that it will interfere with the existing conditions, use, and character of the area.
Egbert attorney Michael Ross said he wanted time to review the documents.
Mr. Urbanneck said the board had accepted the late documents as a courtesy, but put all parties on notice that, in the future, documents must be submitted at least seven days before a hearing.
"At this point," said Mr. Urbanneck, "I feel the waters are so muddied that we have to step back to take a deep breath in the next couple of weeks."
The board agreed to grant the continuance, within the original 35-day timeframe allowed by the application process. The hearing was set for Tuesday, June 21, 6:30 p.m., in the gym.
The Singhs themselves will not be present at that meeting because their daughter's wedding is that weekend. n
Tremont assuaged by developer's new plans
Thursday, June 09, 2005 - Bangor Daily News
TREMONT - A Florida developer who has proposed to build a 300-foot-long pier and an undisclosed number of houses in Seal Cove assured a worried community Tuesday night at a crowded public hearing that the pier and land will be used by his immediate family only.
"We will build a maximum of six houses on the property," Pritam Singh said at the hearing. "When I drive across this bridge, this is heaven. I want to be happy here. I want to have happy neighbors."
Local ordinances would allow a maximum of 49 condominiums or 23 house lots on the 22-acre Cape Road property, one of the town's least developed areas. Singh's future son-in-law, Robert Egbert of Marathon, Fla., applied in February for a permit to build the pier.
Singh said that he had not come to his final decision about the family's plans for the land until very recently, and would meet with the Maine Coast Heritage Trust in Topsham Wednesday to discuss obtaining a conservation easement on the property.
"I'm doing that because it's the right thing to do," he said.
More than 40 people packed the town's small municipal chambers as they waited to hear some answers to the many questions that were triggered by the proposed pier. .
An influx of last-minute information submitted primarily by Douglas Chapman, a Bar Harbor attorney hired to represent abutting landowners, caused the planning board to vote unanimously to continue the hearing on June 21. Enough answers were provided by Singh, however, to assuage the concerns of some Cape Road neighbors.
"I think you should build a house for each one of your children," Peter Butler, a Cape Road land owner said to Singh after the close of the hearing. "I'm looking through a different tunnel of light now."
Butler and Singh shook hands after Singh explained his plans for construction of the Reed Point pier, which is controversial in part because of its size.
The 300-foot-long structure would incorporate a 137-foot-long fixed pier, a 45-foot-long ramp and two 480-square-foot floats.
"We did it so that it was as light as possible, as low as possible," Singh said. "It's not the best pier for us but we thought it was the best pier for the community."
Chapman had no comment Wednesday about the hearing.
TREMONT - A Florida developer who has proposed to build a 300-foot-long pier and an undisclosed number of houses in Seal Cove assured a worried community Tuesday night at a crowded public hearing that the pier and land will be used by his immediate family only.
"We will build a maximum of six houses on the property," Pritam Singh said at the hearing. "When I drive across this bridge, this is heaven. I want to be happy here. I want to have happy neighbors."
Local ordinances would allow a maximum of 49 condominiums or 23 house lots on the 22-acre Cape Road property, one of the town's least developed areas. Singh's future son-in-law, Robert Egbert of Marathon, Fla., applied in February for a permit to build the pier.
Singh said that he had not come to his final decision about the family's plans for the land until very recently, and would meet with the Maine Coast Heritage Trust in Topsham Wednesday to discuss obtaining a conservation easement on the property.
"I'm doing that because it's the right thing to do," he said.
More than 40 people packed the town's small municipal chambers as they waited to hear some answers to the many questions that were triggered by the proposed pier. .
An influx of last-minute information submitted primarily by Douglas Chapman, a Bar Harbor attorney hired to represent abutting landowners, caused the planning board to vote unanimously to continue the hearing on June 21. Enough answers were provided by Singh, however, to assuage the concerns of some Cape Road neighbors.
"I think you should build a house for each one of your children," Peter Butler, a Cape Road land owner said to Singh after the close of the hearing. "I'm looking through a different tunnel of light now."
Butler and Singh shook hands after Singh explained his plans for construction of the Reed Point pier, which is controversial in part because of its size.
The 300-foot-long structure would incorporate a 137-foot-long fixed pier, a 45-foot-long ramp and two 480-square-foot floats.
"We did it so that it was as light as possible, as low as possible," Singh said. "It's not the best pier for us but we thought it was the best pier for the community."
Chapman had no comment Wednesday about the hearing.
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