An official of Westports Cedar Point Yacht Club said today he is encouraged by a revised plan by a Westport doctor to harvest oysters off of Westport using suspended cages.
The original proposal by Dr. John Garofalo and his Mariculture Unlimited LLC touched off a storm of protest from sailboat owners and recreational boaters, many of whom spoke at a public hearing by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Milford on July 23. (See WestportNow July 24, 2003).
Dr. John Garofalo at July 23 hearing. WestportNow.com file photo
Mark Foster, Cedar PointҒs commodore, said Garofalos revised proposal presented Tuesday night at a meeting of the Shellfish Commission left him more optimistic.
ғCedar Point Yacht Club is encouraged by Dr. Garafolo’s proposal to relocate his project area in the direction that he indicated at Tuesday evening’s Shellfish Commission meeting, Foster told WestportNow.
ԓBased upon the information provided, as I stated at the meeting, I believed that a comparatively small conflict still exists with the traditional sailboat racing area.
Foster said Garofalo promised that Mariculture Unlimited will look at this issue more closely and will reply with a written proposal that will take this into account.
ԓWe are cautiously optimistic that this alternative project configuration can be refined to address our concerns, he said.
Alicia Mozian, WestportԒs Conservation director, said Shellfish Commission members were also encouraged by Garofalo’s remarks before them but wanted to see more details.
They seemed to be more in favor of it but reserved final judgment until they see it on a plan,Ӕ she told WestportNow.
Mozian said the commission has no formal role in the approval process that belongs to the Army Corps of Engineers ֖ but said their support would be important.
Mozian said Garofalos new plan envisions a smaller area than the 367 acres originally proposed and sits closer to the Fairfield line.
