Saugus selectmen support fine of Atlantic developers

SAUGUS – Board of Selectmen Chairman Scott Crabtree said he supports Attorney General Martha Coakley?s decision to fine Pamela Avedisian and Gary DeCicco, developers of the old Atlantic Lobster Company site in Saugus, $100,000 for tidelands and wetlands violations.?The board is well aware of the two individuals evidenced by the recent show cause hearing that we had and revocation of their license,” said Crabtree. “They never came out and admitted they were under investigation for any wrongdoing down there. The board raised the question and they kind of danced around it.”According to a press release from the Attorney General?s office, the lawsuit alleges the developers scraped roughly one acre of wetlands and then used it to fill a tidal lagoon on the property. The area is a part of Rumney Marsh, which the release said is designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.The release states the work done violated the Wetlands Protection Act, the Clean Waters Act and the Waterways Act, which “prohibit work in wetlands and tidelands without permits granted by state or local authorities.”?That?s a very sensitive area down there,” said Selectman Stephen Horlick. “It?s been a very sensitive area. That?s one of the main reasons they had those issues because they were doing stuff without notifying people what they were doing.”Avedisian purchased the property more than two years ago with the hopes of opening a function hall and restaurant, but a series of fires and environmental issues put a hold on those plans. The Board of Selectmen recently held a pair of show cause hearings and revoked the liquor license, once for non-use and once for undisclosed ownership.Avedisian is currently appealing the non-use cancellation to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission and has a hearing scheduled for Jan. 18.Horlick said the fine shouldn?t affect the Board?s recent rulings.?It?s all water under the bridge now because I think we?ll be upheld on both (rulings) in the appeal,” Horlick said.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter @MattTempesta.