I am writing to urge Plymouth residents to inform themselves about the sale of land at 71 Hedges Pond Road to a developer (E.J. Pontiff) for a commercial zone that has been presented to the Planning Board to include a warehouse larger than the Amazon warehouse in Kingston, a lumber yard, and ice skating rinks. The land was owned by the town, sold to the Plymouth Foundation nonprofit for $1, and now sold by the nonprofit to Pontiff for over $3 million.
Over 1,000 people sent in letters to the town asking that the building permit not be granted for this development. The Cedarville Steering Committee voted unanimously against this project. In addition, the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribal Council sent an extensive letter outlining the facts surrounding this site – i.e. that in their culture the site is known as the Great Lot, that the sold lot falls within the historical boundaries of the Great Lot, and that the lot contains significant cultural and historical artifacts and is a potential burial site.
For the last several weeks, numerous people representing Cedarville residents, members of environmental groups, environmental scientists, and members of the Wampanoag and other Massachusetts tribes have spoken during public comment at the Plymouth Select Board meetings, asking for a reversal, if not a pause, of the building permit until an archeological study is done on this site. There has been no movement by the Select Board to consider the requests of these residents, the Cedarville Steering Committee, or environmental experts, not to mention the indigenous residents whose ancestors originally owned and inhabited this site.
I find it particularly ironic, duplicitous, and frankly laughable that the governing Board of “America’s Hometown,” which promotes and merchandizes Pilgrims and Native Americans to the worlds’ tourists, will not consider these same original residents of Plymouth when they have an opportunity, duty, and obligation to do the right thing. Just a continued erasure of the indigenous culture that they so easily use to promote their own financial agenda?
– Pamela Magnarelli