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Raymond Beach Café Must be Out by Christmas

December 18, 2011 - Raymond - While the Black Ghost Café, the restaurant on the shores at Raymond Beach, was originally scheduled to be out of the water by Dec. 1, the Raymond Board of Selectmen at its meeting last week agreed to extend the removal date until Christmas Day.

Café owner Jeff Pomeroy, of Egypt Road in Raymond, was granted the extension by a vote of 4-0-1 (Charles Leavitt abstaining) since the café has some structural issues that are going to make extraction difficult.

By waiting until ice has formed near the beach's shoreline, selectmen hope Pomeroy can remove the café without damaging the boat, which he built at his residence earlier this summer.

Pomeroy constructed the café on pontoons early in the summer, transported it to the Raymond Boat Ramp and had it operational in June. Customers were able to access the floating restaurant by a dock as well as by boat.

In exchange for being allowed to operate at the Raymond Beach, Pomeroy agreed to maintain the beach, which was closed last year due to pollution concerns.

Pomeroy almost immediately had trouble with the café, since one of the heavy plastic pontoons leaked. Pomeroy was allowed to prop up the café for the summer. However, since the Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees all shoreland development in the state, considered the café a structure, not a watercraft capable of movement, the owner was given a Dec. 1 deadline to remove the café.

Mike Morse, assistant shoreland zoning coordinator for DEP, said Tuesday that the Raymond board's extension isn't an issue, "but if it's still there in the spring, or still on blocks next summer, DEP will take issue."

Morse clarified that under shoreland zoning rules a boat is allowed to remain in the water year-round, but a structure isn't.

After the vote, Leavitt said he is supportive of the venture. He said he abstained because he didn't want to be on record opposing Pomeroy's efforts, and believes the town of Raymond doesn't have the authority to waive or extend DEP-imposed shoreland restrictions.

"I think it's a case of do as I say, not as I do," Leavitt said. "When we're a partner with a business, and that's what this is, that seems to make it alright. But when a member of the public violates shoreland zoning, we go after them. I don't want to appear negative, but how can we do that?"

Selectman Mike Reynolds, who was also a supporter of Pomeroy this summer when the restaurant owner approached the town with the possibility of the public-private partnership, defended the town's action, saying Raymond is giving Pomeroy a three-week grace period so Pomeroy can remove the barge without damaging it.

"We have a little latitude here," Reynolds said. "He approached us with his plans, so it's not like he was hiding this from us or trying to skirt the law on purpose. In this case, he came to us, asked permission to leave it in until the ice froze, but we didn't go for that. So this is a compromise between what he asked for and what we're willing to allow."

According to Reynolds, Pomeroy, who didn't return phone calls seeking comment, has until Dec. 25 to move the café up onto the beach. He then has until Feb. 28 to remove the café from the beach. Reynolds said Pomeroy plans to haul the café up the beach far enough so it's above the water line, which at this time of year is being lowered to prevent ice damage to the shoreline.

Because there is a fence between the beach and the parking lot, Pomeroy has to wait until ice-in to trailer the café off the beach via the adjacent boat ramp.

John Balentine, Lake Region Weekly, December 2011


Lakes: Sebago Lake
Regions: Sebago


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