Huge crowd forces new date for Sesuit hearing

Source: Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.迷利倉Oct. 02--SOUTH DENNIS -- While many municipal boards rarely attract more than a handful of spectators to scheduled meetings, such has not been the case for the Dennis Zoning Board of Appeals in recent months, as the panel struggles to find a location large enough to accommodate the crowd wishing to weigh in on a dispute between a Sesuit Harbor marina owner and his neighbors."We are gratified so many people are interested in the issue, but maybe it's too many," said Russell Corsini, one of the neighbors involved in the debate with Northside Marina.Neighbors say marina owner Joe Buscone has ignored the town's bylaws, stacking boats on outside racks three stories high, filling the Sesuit Harbor Cafe's perimeter with more than 300 seats, and adding the SS Lobster cruise boat.The busy marina also offers boat sales and rentals, slips and storage, marine repairs and fuel, personal watercraft rentals and parasailing.The neighbors complain the uses, which they say cause traffic congestion, odor and noise, have been added without review or permits from town boards.Buscone, meanwhile, argues the uses are grandfathered, based on pre-existing conditions.The Sesuit Neck and Quivet Neck homeowners associations hired Orleans attorney William Henchy, who demanded the local building commissioner enforce town requirements at the marina.Building Commissioner Brian Florence ordered Buscone in midsummer to make a few adjustments, but the changes were not enough to satisfy neighbors.Both Buscone and the neighbors have appealed the commissioner's decisions t自存倉 the zoning board.The zoning board initially scheduled a hearing in late August, but the town hall hearing room proved too small for the 150 people who turned out.The hearing was continued to a later date and a larger venue.That session was set for Monday in the Dennis Senior Center. Buscone's supporters, pulling on bright yellow T-shirts, filed in. The other side drew a similar number of supporters.This time the crowd swelled to 300."People were three deep on either side of the room," said zoning board Chairman Ernie Oliveira. "It was a fire code issue. I talked to lawyers on both sides, who agreed it made more sense to move it to one of the schools."The hearing has now been set for Nov. 4 in the Nathaniel H. Wixon Innovation School auditorium, which can accommodate up to 500 people.Town Planner Daniel Fortier characterized Monday's attendees as "very passionate.""I think all involved want to get this hearing started," Fortier said.Highland Road resident Richard Armstrong criticized the zoning board for not providing an adequate hearing room to date, and he worries many of his neighbors will be heading to Florida for the winter before Nov. 4."We could be missing a lot of people," he said.Henchy praised the zoning board's decision to pursue a larger room."The chairman did the hard thing but the right thing so everyone will be heard," he said Tuesday."The level of interest on both sides of this is high."Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Cape Cod Times (Hyannis, Mass.) Visit the Cape Cod Times (Hyannis, Mass.) at .capecodonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage