Field Notes
by Peter B Brace

REAL ESTATE ACQUISITION When George Nyren wraps up his addition to his commercial building at 1 North Beach St., he will have the choice of leasing the ground floor of his new space to a retail business or a real estate office. That's because the Planning Board, at its Oct. 30 meeting, voted 4-1 to granted Nyren permission to have the option of using this space for a real estate operation.

The board's approval of this use change is contingent on office use of Nyren's space being limited to real estate sales. If he wants to alter that use, he must return to the Planning Board and apply for it.

On March 27, Nyren secured a modification of his special permit for his Major Commercial Development at 1 North Beach St. to build a 1,704- square-foot addition to his existing 1,933-squarefoot two-story building that currently houses Brazil Mini Mart, Chele and J. Parave & Co.

In this new space Nyren plans to put either retail or real estate on the first floor and one apartment on the second.

The Planning Board meets again on Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. in the conference room at 2 Fairgrounds Road.

COMMERCIAL SCALLOPING BASICS Don't drop your

dredges into Nantucket's harbors without copy of the following basic information from the Marine & Coastal Resources Department in your head or on your person.

+ Commercial scallopers are allowed by the town to scallop Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. when their boats must be moored or tied up at their slips,

+ On board must be enough lifejackets for all, plus one throwable, flares, an anchor, fire extinguisher, signaling devices and a radio or cell phone,

+ Scallopers are limited to five bushels of scallops per license holder with a maximum of two license holders per boat,

+ Scallops must have a well-defined, raised annual growth ring.

+ Should you find yourself out on the water and in need of help, you can call the Marine Department at 228-7261 and on your VHF radio on Channel 9, and the Coast Guard Station Brant Point at 228- 0388 and on VHF radio Channel 16.

Scallopers caught with more than the five-percent seed allowed in their bushel boxes are subject to the town's revised regulations, which carry stiff penalties for those who knowingly harvest too much seed. Scallopers caught taking seed their first time will have their licenses suspended for one day and be required to take a two-hour course provided by the Marine Department on seed identification. Second-time offenders lose their license for one week and for one year from the date of the infraction if caught a third time.

KEEPING WETLANDS WET The Army Corps of Engineers is revamping its mitigation checklist and related guidance for its reviews of all mitigation of unavoidable impacts to wetlands. The Army Corps is taking comments on their proposed new checklist through Dec. 1.

The checklist items include considerations for hydrology, grading plan, topsoil, planting plan, coarse woody debris and other features, erosion controls, invasive and noxious species, off-road vehicle use, preservation, a monitoring plan, an assessment plan, contingency and long-term stewardship.

Those who wish to view the checklist can see it at www.nae.usace.army.mil/reg/index.htm. At this Web page, you'll find what you need beneath the Mitigation heading. If you want to comment on the proposal, send your thoughts to: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Ruth Ladd), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, Ma. 01742- 2751. Or you call her at 800-343-4789.

HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY Saturday is hazardous waste day at the Nantucket Landfill. Hoarders of half empty paint cans, packrats with buckets of spent batteries, drums of used motor oil and garages full of long abandoned domestic, yet toxic chemicals should muster in front of its garage at 188 Madaket Road. From 8 a.m. to 12 noon, take the third entrance to the landfill property coming from the town and the first coming from Madaket. For a complete listing of what you can and can't unload on Dec. 10, check out www.nantucket-ma.gov/departments/dpw.html, scroll down and click on the link for household hazardous waste or call 228-7244.

I