Scott Memhard talks mostly about the past as he walks around his ice plant that once provided up to 300 tons a day to local fishermen. Memhard, who bought Cape Pond Ice with his father in 1983, still has the machinery to make that much ice. But for years now — because of tough fishing regulations and an exodus of fishermen — he sells just a few tons each day to local captains.
In most cities, Memhard’s 1-acre waterfront building and dock would be worth millions. In Gloucester, though, the property is assessed at less than $1 million. Part of that has to do with a limited-use restriction the city and the state placed on property in the inner harbor in 1978.
Enacted to protect the harbor’s existing fishing and marine interests, the Designated Port Area prohibited new residences, condominiums, hotels, and new recreational marinas within the zone. Also, under the DPA, restaurants and retail stores are prohibited from occupying more than 50 percent of a waterfront property.
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