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Date: 7/13/2022
SOUTHWICK — The proposal to reopen Crabby Joe’s Restaurant was approved by the Conservation Commission on July 6, but applicant Ken Eggleston said that he does not expect the planned marina will be open during the current boating season.
Eggleston said that the earliest he can begin work on the outside of the restaurant is July 26, as the commission’s approval comes with an appeal period. After that, he said he anticipates about one month of work before the restaurant itself is finished and ready to open for business.
Because Congamond Lake is administered by the state, Eggleston must seek a Chapter 91 marina license for his planned docks. The Planning Board recently approved a plan that would allow Eggleston to install 40 boat spaces, to be split in half between transient boat parking and long-term dock space rentals.
He was hoping to have the marina in place by the end of the summer, but the approval from the Conservation Commission triggers a 90-day wait for the state to grant or reject the Chapter 91 license. By the time the Department of Environmental Protection makes its decision on the Crabby Joe’s marina, the boating season will be over.
“There will be no docks in the water this year,” said Eggleston.
Eggleston said he was pleased that the commission was able to hold a special meeting to vote on his application, which prevented it from being delayed further, but was disappointed that the docks will have to wait until 2023.
The Crabby Joe’s proposal has been the subject of some complaints over the marina’s proximity to the culvert under Congamond Road. The culvert serves as a gateway for boaters to travel between Middle and South ponds, and some, like the Lake Management Committee, were concerned that a full dock so close to the South Pond side of the culvert would present a hazard to boaters crossing through.
As a result, Eggleston dropped the number of docks from 60 to 40, and shifted them slightly to move them farther from the culvert.