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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAbutter Ungerland commentLetter to the Yarmouth Conservation Committee Regarding Follins Pond Dear members of the committee, I write to you as a neighbor of Dr. Serijan and the resident at 26 Aunt Dorah's Lane; RECEIVED DEC 03 2025 Down Cape Engineering, Inc. urtther, as the current molder/user of mooring #165 in the town mooring field directly adjacent to the dock in question. I correspond with you this evening with both clarity of mind and heaviness of heart —the latter prompted not by any environmental concern, but by what I can only describe as a troubling departure from the neighborliness and practical wisdom that ought to characterize our local governance. I am writing in support of my neighbor's dock on Follins Pond, a matter now before the Conservation Commission. I do so not merely as a resident, but as someone who has invested hundreds of hours annually on these waters —more, I suspect, than nearly any other user or abutting property owner. I know this pond intimately. I have watched it through seasons, witnessed its ecology, and observed both its fragilities and its resilience. Let me be direct: what I observe in this matter troubles me deeply, and I say this as someone who cares genuinely about environmental stewardship. *The Substance of the Matter* My neighbor has done precisely what responsible stewardship demands. His licensed dock required maintenance. The original Styrofoam flotation was degrading —literally breaking apart and contaminating the water with plastic fragments. His replacement with see -through composite decking represents a genuine environmental improvement: it allows sunlight penetration to support aquatic life rather than blocking it. He has replaced deteriorating materials with superior ones. Further, the work already undertaken by Dr. Serijan removed a considerable amount of old docking materials, debris, old pylons, and other refuse from the waterfront. Serijan and his contractor expensed extensive time and funds to clean up the waterfront and repair/improve the dock in 2024. His actions are not indicative of negligence; they are responsibility by a citizen choosing to spend their own resources to steward property and environment. Regarding the "marsh grass disturbance" claim: I know the site. I previously traversed the area regularly as a local saltwater angler and fellow conservation -minded citizen (President of The Cape Cod Salties). What exists beneath his walkway is precisely what my neighbor states —broken concrete and rocks from previous iterations. There was never any marsh in the area in question. The marsh grass thrives undisturbed in the areas where marsh grass actually grows. This is not conjecture; this is observable fact. *What Troubles Me Most* But here is what truly concerns me —what moves me to write: the Conservation Commission's proposed "solution" would require my neighbor to construct a five-foot elevated ramp ascending the banking. This would cause demonstrably greater landscape disturbance than what currently exists. The proposal is not merely impractical; it is environmentally counterproductive. I am reminded of a principle from existential philosophy that Martin Heidegger articulated: authentic care for the *world* (what he called *Dasein's* environment) requires that we see things as they actually *are*, not as our predetermined categories demand they be. When we impose a solution that contradicts observable reality and causes greater harm than the problem it purports to solve, we have abandoned authentic stewardship. We have substituted ideological purity for practical wisdom. *The Deeper Issue* My neighbor is a long-standing, generous, conservation -minded member of our community. He is an elder who deserves the quiet and peaceful enjoyment of his private property as he lives out his years in a place he has long cherished. The extension of invasive regulatory scrutiny into such matters —particularly when the underlying facts do not support the concerns raised —represents a kind of disturbance to the peace that no conservation principle justifies. I advocate strongly for local community engagement and neighborliness as solutions to our deeper challenges. But neighborliness requires that we see one another as whole persons, not merely as subjects of regulatory enforcement. It requires that we distinguish between genuine environmental concern and procedural box -checking. *My Recommendation* I urge the Town Council to support my neighbor's current dock configuration. It represents responsible stewardship, not negligence. The proposed alternatives would cause greater environmental disruption. And most importantly, it honors the principle that our regulations ought to serve human flourishing and genuine environmental protection —not become ends in themselves. The marsh will thrive. The pond will thrive. And my neighbor will have peace - for whatever amount of time he may still have in our community. Respectfully submitted, R JONATHAN UNGERLAND II 26 AUNT DORAH'S LANE YARMOUTH_PORT, MA 02675 303-916-0428 RECEIVED DEC 03 2025 Down Cape Engineering, Inc.