WPRI — Johnson’s Pond owners demand town remove residents’ docks
May 10, 2023
By Sarah Doiron, Anita Baffoni — COVENTRY, R.I. (WPRI) — The owner of Johnson’s Pond is urging the town to remove more than 100 residents’ docks from the water.
Soscia Holdings, LLC, sent a letter to the town late last month demanding the removal of all “illegal structures” built on the pond.
“Following the discovery of other unpermitted alterations, Soscia Holdings performed a limited investigation of several properties adjacent to Johnson’s Pond,” the letter reads.
The letter includes a list of 108 addresses where the residents reportedly built upon or altered the pond without the owner’s permission.
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The owner claims the town is defaulting on its lease agreement by not addressing the violations.
One homeowner on that list is calling the move a stunt. Jason Hawes, who lives on Acres of Pine Road, says his dock has been on the water for about eight years.
“I definitely think Soscia and Soscia Holdings are trying to look at every little way to just be a problem,” Hawes said. “It’s tough also because we don’t really hear anything from the town because the town is keeping things private. But fingers crossed things will be able to be resolved.”
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