Cease and Desist Order Issued after Vehicle, Goats, Driven Onto Gerry Island

Town residents who own property overlooking Little Harbor were reportedly shocked to find that developer Peter Noyes had driven a vehicle out to Gerry Island at low tide Tuesday morning that allegedly began moving boulders and left behind a handful of brown goats.

According to police, at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, a local resident reported that a black truck with high wheels had driven out to Gerry Island during low tide. Chief Robert Picariello reportedly told the resident that a Conservation Agent was on scene and would be the one in charge of handling the matter.

Soon after, another resident called police to report that she could see a worker on the island moving boulders, which she said was against orders from the town's  Conservation Commission. As a result of the situation, Noyes was issued a cease and desist order for construction the island.

Noyes wants to confirm that the owner of Gerry Island, Ted Moore's Redstone Realty, has the right to allow him to use the causeway as part of his controversial plan to renovate and rebuild seawalls on the island. Noyes denied last month that he plans to buy the island from Moore.

At issue is the use of a rock and gravel causeway. At low tide cars and trucks can make it across the causeway.

Noyes' plan has drawn sharp criticism. Last month an to voice their objections and skepticism about Noyes' plans for the island.

Opponents appeared individually and as part of a newly formed group, called Friends of Little Harbor.

The commission members made a second site visit to the island last month to study the area where Noyes is proposing to build a 30-foot by 60-foot pad with three-inch thick gravel for unloading boats or trucks.

Commission members said their recollection from the first site visit was that the area had too great a slope for the pad and would require that Noyes remove large boulders and bring in fill material. That much construction might impact the protected coastal bank area.

Noyes and his engineer, Peter Ogren of Hayes Engineering disagreed with the commission members.

It was also reported that there are now four brown goats on the island and, according to Wayne Attridge, Director of the town's Board of Health, there is no permit necessary to keep goats on the island. Although keeping goats on the island is legal, a local resident reportedly sent out an email inquiring what would happen if the goats were to wander off of the island.

In a recent meeting with Town Administrator Tony Sasso and Town Engineer William Lanphear, Noyes was told that the town will not issue an opinion on whether he has a right to drive vehicles across the causeway to on the island.

Police Chief Robert Picariello said Tuesday that "as of right now, there is nothing going on that would involve (the police department)."

Noyes, who owns the Rockmore Floating Restaurant and the Hannah Glover, told Commission Chairman Walter Haug last month that he plans only to rebuild the walls to “stabilize” the island. In the future, he would ask federal, state and local agencies for permission to use the island as a boat yard.