Brooksville marina proprietor says he closed enterprise due to city
The proprietor of a Brooksville marina who has fought for years with the city over his use of moorings in Buck’s Harbor has closed the enterprise and put up for sale for greater than $1.8 million.
Indicators that had been fixed to cords blocking the marina’s entry highway and an adjoining grime car parking zone on Route 176 mentioned Tuesday that the marina is closed for the 2023 season and warns in opposition to trespassing.
The property is listed on the market by Christie’s Worldwide Actual Property for $1,825,000 and consists of two parcels linked by an entry highway off Route 176. That highway is shared with two different abutting property homeowners. The parcel immediately on the water is one tenth of an acre and features a wharf with two buildings on it and a floating dock system. The parcel immediately on Route 176 is a fifth of an acre and is used for parking. Collectively, the 2 parcels have an assessed worth of $261,500, in keeping with the city’s property tax data.
The proprietor of the marina, Jonathan Buck, has been feuding with the city for the reason that summer time of 2020. In August of that 12 months, a tropical storm handed via the realm, inflicting a yacht tied as much as one of many marina’s 35 moorings to tug that mooring a brief distance and hit one other boat, marina officers mentioned.
The yacht was tied up with out the marina’s approval and the harm was minor, in keeping with the marina, however the city mentioned the collision was the marina’s fault. In August 2020, the city despatched a discover to the marina that mentioned as a result of the yacht was too giant for the mooring and dragged it, the marina was in violation of the city’s harbor ordinance.
That fall, Buck signed a written settlement with the city on methods to resolve the dispute, however the city later mentioned Buck violated that settlement. In January 2022, Buck filed a lawsuit in opposition to the city, claiming he was being unfairly focused.
Buck mentioned Tuesday that he and his household determined to shut the marina as a result of the city’s actions and calls for have undermined the enterprise.
“Their makes an attempt are basically to devalue the marina and put us out of enterprise,” Buck mentioned. “I cannot topic my household to any extra of this unconstitutional harassment.”
Buck’s lawsuit continues to be pending within the state’s enterprise and client court docket, mentioned Mark Shaughnessy, chairman of the city’s harbor committee. He mentioned Buck additionally filed a separate tort declare in opposition to the city final summer time, wherein he’s looking for financial damages in opposition to the city. That too has not been resolved.
“It’s a disgrace,” Shaughnessy mentioned of the closure of the marina. “It’s troublesome for individuals who use the harbor and for cruising sailors. It’s a beautiful asset for the harbor.”
On a recorded message that greets callers to the marina cellphone line, an individual mentioned that the closure of the marina is “out of our palms” and apologizes for not being open.
The marina’s web site mentioned that, when it was open, the positioning provided diesel and ethanol-free gasoline to boaters, laundry companies, recent water and showers, rubbish disposal and wifi. It additionally had a ship’s retailer that bought souvenirs and boating provides, amongst different issues.
“Buck’s Harbor Marina has been a household operation revered for offering quite a lot of marine companies, together with meals, wine, recent lobsters, showers and gas, along with rental moorings and mainland entry from its docks,” the itemizing on Christie’s Worldwide Actual Property says. “Whereas primarily a seasonal operation, Buck’s Harbor Marina provides the perfect of a ‘Maine lifestyle’ offering each important and nonessential companies to the boating public.”
