To the editor:
Having had the privilege of serving as a Department of Public Works commissioner for the town of Essex, chairman of the Industrial Development Commission of the city of Beverly, and a resident of Conomo Point for more than 40 years, I can contradict some of what has been published and reiterated at Town Meetings.
It has been stated that there was denial of access to Conomo Point front beaches to town residents. Access was also denied to Conomo Point residents south of the front area, as there was no place to park and one had to be a member of the Conomo Point Association to use the floats that they maintained privately and insured, albeit attached to the concrete piers which had stairs for access to the beach for anyone not a member or a member.
We had to walk, shuttle, or park in the area known as Clammer's Beach and belong to the association for float use, or use the concrete stairs to access the beach which is only available at low tide. Again, one must consider that none of this happened without consent of the Conomo Point Commissioners.
The Conomo Point commissioners early on allowed private individuals to maintain the area of the flag pole with private landscaping to save the town money, and the persons paying naturally took exception to anyone parking there. More than one winter the lawns in that area had vehicle tracks left in them for the lessees to repair.
What many are not cognizant of is that the map of Conomo Point does not have meets and bounds to deliniate the lots, and further, under the old leases, the commissioners changed them at will to accommodate building. Having dealt with a lawyer representing a private lot off Robbins Island Road (as a CPW Commissioner) trying to establish his client's property lines was fraught with communications, and the boundaries established by the County Engineers for road layouts. The houses to the right of the stone wall are all privately deeded (Ralston Drive) and not affected by the Conomo Point resolution.
Once a subdivision is established, it must conform to the state and federal laws without exception and would be very difficult to be granted special legislation without developers having land court cases using case law for the same exemptions. This was very evident in the Beverly side of the Cherry Hill site, having a judges's order that was in place prior to development. Environmental issues are in place for the ecological well being of all developments and subdivisions.
Economically, the incidence of burden to the taxpayer is not only the lack of income but also the costs associated with hazardous material removal, excavation, and costs that would increase in public safety for the protection of the area that would include rules and regulations of use. Check with the selectmen and ask how successful it was(n't) when a charge was associated with the boat ramp on Main Street, and with one of the gatekeepers at Crane Beach about the people seeking refunds because of the greenheads.
Town meetings must come to grips and realize that, no matter how egregious some feel for what has happened in the past, the economic well-being for a fragile economic base must come first:
The projected loss of income.
Increase in the incidence of tax burden.
Increase cost for enforcement of use.
Increase in public safety because of being remote to the center of town.
Increase in Department of Public Work daily maintenance.
Increase liability of risks in general public/limited commercial use.
The aforementioned must be taken into consideration, not just for the present but over the years that follow.
Whatever is brought forth should be by a ballot at the annual Town Meeting and vote at the regular town election; once voted on, be limited as to when it could be brought up again for change.
The Point residents may not own the land but they have an equal investment, as anyone else with the payment of the real-estate taxes which started in the early 1970s, when the Legislature granted the towns that were only paying nominal rents and personal property taxes on the houses.
Check the population of towns around us for population size and tax bases by zip code and see how we are outnumbered in population and tax base. The cost associated with this to please a few is a great burden for many to carry for many years to come.
EDWIN F. RICHTER, Jr.
Farm Road, Essex
