To the editor:

On Monday, November 9, Blount Boats' petition will, once again, be before the Planning Board at a continued Public Hearing for discussion focusing on the wording of a proposed new zone.

At the last meeting, Blount attorney, Andrew Teitz, said what he heard from objectors is FEAR. Teitz was so right. FEAR. Fear of the unknown, because my past experience with Blount has proven that there's usually a backstory to whatever they are requesting.

Blount's last petition was in 2012-13 for the tent that sits in the shipyard, mostly unused. As that application made its way through board approvals, it began as a hull building and a tent; then just a five-section tent whose parts could be moved with a crane throughout the shipyard as needed. providing for flexibility; finally the more permanent three-section telescoping tent that has joined the 47-foot high hull building on Warren's skyline.

The message then was the same as now. 'We expect to be building smaller but multiple aluminum boats that need to be constructed out of the weather, and therefore need more spots in the shipyard to keep a production line moving.' "Not only do we need floor space, but we need covered space protected from wind, water, snow and ice. A tent will keep us competitive and efficient," stated Marcia Blount at the 2013 Zoning Board hearing.

Three months after approval of the mostly unused tent, it was reported in numerous news articles, including the Warren Times, that Blount had been fined $24,000 by EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) for violations of the Clean Air Act relating to their reporting and use of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other hazardous coatings used in painting boats. In addition to the fine, the EPA decision required that Blount erect a tent in the shipyard that would be outfitted as a sort of paint booth to enclose the toxic coatings that Blount and other shipyards use on the boats. So there was the backstory that no one heard during the hearings.

Now the Fear. Fear that there is another backstory that we haven't heard yet, and might not hear until it's too late, when all the approvals have been granted, like the unused tent. There is anticipation of big contracts yet there's been no verification. Since 2013 Blount has built two of the smaller wind farm boats and there's a contract for one more. The employment numbers that "could" number 100 are still below 50. A massive new building won't create more jobs, and once built, won't be as easy to remove as the tent.

So there's the fear, the uncertainty. The application has changed several times. More information is needed. Will the town ask, and get answers to, all the right questions? Are all those approvals being sought for Blount or for a potential buyer? Will we find out a backstory too late?

Jane MacDougall
500 Water St.