Wednesday, June 7, 2006 Neighbor says threat of pigs in Touisset is hogwash WARREN - Touisset resident Ernest Mayo is annoyed and irritated with developer Thomas Chace's threats. Longtime resident of Warren and a developer himself, Mr. Mayo believes Mr. Chace is not making a good case for himself. "All he's doing is hurting his cause," said Mr. Mayo. "It's another form of blackmail." Mr. Mayo is referring to the Massachusetts-based developer who has some interesting plans for 26 acres in Touisset. According to Mr. Chace, the Warren Planning Board denied his plans for a 14-home subdivision — called Touisset Bay — and now he has decided to fill the land with a pig farm, 10,000 swine strong. He said he's negotiating with potential pig farmers who will work the land. He will ask the town council for permission at the June 13 meeting. If Mr. Chace was to put 10,000 swine onto the property, Mr. Mayo said it would easily reduce the property value of all nearby homes by around 40 percent. "His philosophy is different than the philosophy of the Town of Warren," Mr. Mayo said. "In my opinion Mr. Chace is not being realistic. It's dumb, and I'll tell him to his face." Mr. Mayo has developed Mayo Drive, Matthew Drive, and some other property in Warren. He said he's looked at the Touisset Bay property — "it's practically his back yard" — and believes cluster homes is not the answer for the land. "He's [Mr. Chace] trying to fit more than the property can hold," said Mr. Mayo. "The land tells you what you can carry. "It's an R-40 (zone) you should stay with R-40 requirements. If you can put 14 in R-40 then stick to 14, but if you can only put eight, then stick to eight." Mr. Mayo said the property has major water drainage problems and they need to be addressed before any development goes in. He says if there is a bad storm it will flood a nearby pond and he'll "have fish in front of his house." The Touisset Bay property is located in an R-40 zone which has certain requirements — the zoning laws in town state that all farm animals except for hogs can be raised on R-40 land. What will the council do? On June 13, the Warren Town Council will take into consideration Mr. Chace's petition for 10,000 pigs on the property. Council member Joseph DePasquale said he is not sure what the council's action will be, but he will keep the current health and well being of Warren residents in mind. "With the inclination I have now," he said, "I would not be in favor of changing any current order for any potential plans that I've read in the paper." That's good news to some Touisset residents, including James Nightingale. "I don't expect the town would go along with putting a pig farm out here," Mr. Nightingale said recently. "It's an election year." Fellow resident Peter Shaw agreed. "I just think (Mr. Chace is) bringing it up because he's mad at the neighborhood," he said. "People would come out of the woodwork to stop it." Mr. Mayo believes the town council will make the right decision. He said, "We have a very stable town council, they don't shoot from the hip very easily." BY KELLY HAYES khayes@eastbaynewspapers.com Jeffrey Chace http://www.chace.demon.nl