RYE — Owners of the renowned seafood, fishing and whale watching shacks at Rye Harbor are concerned their businesses could be altered or forced to close altogether due to a potential new development.
A Pease Development Authority-led design study into a potential development at Rye Harbor has the site's business owners worried about their future, if a plan is approved. The PDA is exploring whether to authorize the construction of a new raised dock house and deck at Rye Harbor, which is at the heart of a $1 million study.
Schematic designs of the one-story conceptual building, which have not received final approval by the Pease Development Authority’s board of directors, show an accessible ramp leading to the deck and 12 units inside ranging from 80 square feet to 445 square feet. The study is funded by an American Rescue Plan Act grant.
“I just love the harbor. I know for a fact that people come because of the charm and small (feel). I don’t want it commercialized,” said Rye Harbor Lobster Pound owner Sylvia Cheever. “The way that it is is wonderful.”
The 1870 Ocean Boulevard site has housed mainstay businesses such as Petey’s Summertime Seafood, Rye Harbor Lobster Pound, Black Dog Charters, Vintage Fish Company and Granite State Whale Watch for years. No plans have been set in stone to eliminate those shacks, according to the PDA, but the business owners worry they could be removed or demolished after years of investment.
'I'd hate to see those shacks eliminated'
The business owners oppose the possible development and its potential impact on the character and capacity of Rye Harbor. They also feel there has been a lack of transparency from the PDA on the design study. Questions have been raised about the need for the development, whether it could support the existing businesses, the size of the proposed new units, the impact on parking and boat storage at the harbor, and whether any new construction could force the businesses to close.
Cheever is against any new development and believes it would ultimately force her business to close. Transporting live lobsters in and out of her business, if it were to be located within the potential raised building, would be difficult, along with the equipment weighing hundreds of pounds that is necessary to run the eatery.
In Cheever’s view, the potential development “really isn’t functional in many different ways,” adding the harbor’s business owners have not been looped into the discussion.
“I don’t speak for anyone other than my business and (myself) as a personal Rye resident, but I would hate to see those shacks eliminated,” she said. “We know they get damaged in winter. That’s why they’re shacks. They’re built to be rebuilt or allow water to pass through. It’s part of the nature (of running a business in Rye Harbor). I don’t know where the idea came from but we weren’t considered in the development of this plan. In my opinion, the PDA has a duty to take into consideration the community, the small businesses that are there and the state resource that is for both commercial and recreational use.”
PDA leader: New building would have place for businesses
If a design for a new building at Rye Harbor is approved, “the intent is for all of our existing businesses to continue to conduct business there,” according to Paul Brean, executive director of the PDA.
Brean said the push for a possible new building at Rye Harbor was born out of concern the shacks could not sustain further damage from coastal storms. Last winter, Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine saw numerous historic storms with flooding, high winds and splash over that damaged numerous private properties and businesses.
“The goal is to make the buildings more sustainable to the continued storm surges that we’re seeing that are bringing water levels up to 36 inches on a regular pattern. It’s also to make sure we’re not impeding on wetlands in the area, and making sure we have safe, to code utilities to support a variety of uses,” Brean said.
“For clarity, this is a fairly significant design that looks to serve a variety of businesses from small charter boat activities to ticket sales to whale watches to bait and tackle sales to restaurant prepared menu items,” he added. “The intent with the design is to make sure that all seagoing businesses are accommodated and have the ability to welcome recreational and leisure visitors to Rye Harbor.”
Rye Harbor shack owners aren’t convinced plan would support their business models
Adam Baker, owner of Vintage Fish Company, bought his circa-1981 shack seven years ago, putting money in the structure to fix it up and operate his business. He believes a new development at Rye Harbor could lead to the current businesses shutting down.
If potential new development on-site requires the shacks to be removed or demolished, Baker wonders how the business owners would be compensated for their losses.
“All of the shack owners have had communication with each other and support each other. The PDA has not wanted to share much information with us,” Baker said. “They don’t offer much of an explanation. They don’t pay attention when we speak. It’s almost as if this decision has already been made, and our opinions don’t matter.”
Pete Reynolds, the owner and vessel captain at Granite State Whale Watch, said any new development could restrict parking in the lot and space for boats. He worries about the possibility of moving into a smaller space.
“There’s been a complete lack of communication, transparency or anything from the PDA to the business owners,” Reynolds said. "They won’t even tell us whose idea this is, where this is coming from … Just to say it’s a study is a bit disingenuous, I feel. It’s a lot further along the tracks than that.”
“Our (right of entry agreements) were only for two years and will expire next spring,” said Cheever, the Rye Harbor Lobster Pound owner. “It would be very simple for the PDA to eliminate all of our (right of entry agreements after they expire) and move forward with this build, put it out to bid and see who can go into those spaces, (which) are generic. They have shared walls. It’s not a very good fit for the businesses that are already down there.”
Rye town leader speaks up; PDA official says shack owners must pay 'reasonable rate'
The design study has also drawn concerns from local and state officials representing Rye.
Bill Epperson, chairperson of the town’s Select Board, wrote a guest opinion column for Seacoastonline last week calling for support for Rye Harbor’s business owners and commercial fishermen, calling PDA plans "detrimental."
More: Epperson: Rye fishermen need our support; PDA plans detrimental harbor changes
“The businesses have been there a long time. They’re part of the fabric of the town. They have been for years,” Epperson said in an interview Tuesday. “We’re not necessarily opposed to any changes because that’s the society we live in, but it’s got to be organized and it’s got to be laid out.”
Epperson received a letter in response to his opinion column, sent by PDA chairperson Stephen Duprey on Aug. 1. The letter assures the board of directors “will be listening to all the constituencies and stakeholders of Rye Harbor before final decisions are made.”
“Rye Harbor is a wonderful asset of the state of New Hampshire,” Duprey wrote. “Its many uses have evolved over the decades. Our goal is to ensure that it is a multi-use harbor that welcomes all of its diverse users, and to ensure that it can survive storms, not further degrade the environment around it, and operate in a financially sustainable way.
“By doing so we can help ensure that the small commercial fishing community we still have in New Hampshire is helped as much as possible, and that the other harbor users have the chance to thrive as well,” Duprey added. “That is our goal. We will reach that goal equitably and openly after listening to all of our stakeholders.”
Duprey’s letter states three goals the PDA board of directors has for a possible new development: Ensuring Rye Harbor is accessible and welcoming to all tourists, that all harbor users are treated fairly without preferential treatment, and to generate “sufficient revenue” to operate and pay for storm damage to the harbor.
Duprey also stated the businesses operating on state-owned property “must pay a reasonable rate for the privilege of doing so.”
In June, Duprey asked the PDA to review the history of right of entry agreements for Rye Harbor users and the process of being granted a permit to operate a business on Ocean Boulevard.
“They should not be given a leg up on similar businesses that operate from private property that must pay rent or a mortgage,” Duprey wrote. “Some of these Rye Harbor businesses are extremely profitable, and it would be an abdication of our duty to ignore exploration of ways to maximize (Division of Ports and Harbors) revenues that can be used to operate and maintain the harbor for years to come.”
Rep. Grote urges PDA to communicate with business owners
State Rep. Jaci Grote, D-Rye, has visited Rye Harbor in recent days to speak with business owners about their concerns.
She said she also learned the PDA board of directors is addressing how Rye Harbor can “financially sustain itself," amid storm damage.
“The issue at hand is that they’ve been vague and have not been able to answer questions from the business owners at Rye Harbor,” Grote said Tuesday. “Whenever you put people in that position, it’s going to lead to speculation. It could be that the situation publicly has gotten ahead of itself from what is actually going to happen.”
Grote called on the PDA to better involve the harbor’s business owners and hear their concerns.
“I have met with the PDA, spoken with the PDA. I have a good working relationship with the PDA. They tell me that Rye land-use ordinances are going to be used, that we will be involved, and I trust that will be the case. I think they’re frustrated with the misinformation, but I think part of that is as a result of the approach that they’ve taken,” Grote said. “They should just tell people what it’s going to be and what it’s not going to be, stick to that and then behave in that manner.”
The PDA needs to involve the harborside businesses, the town’s Planning Board, community members and other stakeholders in the process, said Matthew Scruton, Rye’s town administrator. He added that the town hopes to “gain insight into what is driving these changes” and any development at Rye Harbor should adhere to the town’s master plan.
“It’s imperative for us to grasp the full scope of this project, including its environmental impact and the increased demands it may place on our police, fire, and public works departments,” Scruton said. “Evaluating how the project may impact the local fishing industry and other businesses currently operating in the harbor is critical. We believe the voices of those directly affected should be heard, ensuring any changes benefit everyone involved and preserve the longstanding traditions of our community."
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Rye Harbor could use improvements. But I think that everyone who is involved should be at the table. I’m a firm believer of that,” Grote added.
Several business owners reported they were not caught up to speed on the design study until just prior to a meeting of the Pease Development Authority’s Port Committee on July 22, when the process was discussed.
PDA promises update, points to deadline coming soon
The federal grant allocated to the Pease Development Authority expires at the end of the year, meaning a plan would need to be approved and a builder would need to be hired before the start of 2025, Brean noted.
“We’ll see where the design (study) leads us,” Brean said. “Obviously with recent storm surges we’ve had there, the businesses there are not ideally situated to deal with that. We’re also looking to improve the accessibility at the current shacks and allow for more manageable housekeeping and utilities. Whereas these shacks have evolved from storing lobster traps to (becoming) actual welcoming businesses, we want to make sure the public can appropriately egress them.”
PDA board vice chairperson Neil Levesque, who leads its Port Committee, will give an update on the design study during its Thursday, Aug. 8 meeting, according to Brean, including design details and costs. Appledore Marine Engineering has been contracted to assist with the design study.
The PDA board of directors meeting is set to take place Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in its conference room at 55 International Drive in Portsmouth.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: 'Charm' of Rye Harbor shacks threatened by development. Owners say PDA ignores them.
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