By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — Six months after coming down hard on a Compo Mill Cove property owner who failed to follow conditions for work on the shoreline, the Planning and Zoning Commission got an update Monday on remedial actions.

In October, after several violations of conditions, the commission ordered that soil and rocks be removed from property sloping to the beach at 50 Compo Mill Cove.

At the time of the action, neighbor Robin Tauck told the commission that she was so “shocked” by conditions at the site that she had considered moving from town.

The Compo Mill Cove property then was on the market for $13.5 million, making it one of the priciest listings in town. It also was available to rent for $50,000 a month.

The house now appears to be off the market, according to several real estate websites. It is owned by Dr. Pasquale Malpeso Jr. and has four bedrooms and 3.5 baths.

Project now “in a good place”

Planning and Zoning Director Mary Young told the commission members Monday that Deputy Zoning Director Michelle Perillie completed a status report on restoration of the shoreline April 21.

“In summary, she tells you we’re in a good place now,” Young said. “It was a challenge to get where we are now. The applicant didn’t exactly follow all the guidelines given, but at the end of the day we are where we wanted to be and the commission wanted us to be,”

“We wish it had gone as scheduled, as planned, but considering the past history of our dealings with this applicant, it certainly went better than the episodes before,” Young said. 

Stonework that had been demolished has been removed and disposed offsite, a sloping bank to the beach has been rebuilt and beach grass plantings were recently put in place on the new slope.

The earlier work was almost complete when the commission ordered it ripped out and redone last October. The action was taken because the P&Z staff was supposed to receive photographs of each stage as the project progressed. The staff was to be given written confirmation the work had been done correctly before the next stage could commence.

That didn’t happen. It wasn’t until the regrading was completed that photos were sent, staffers said in October.

Most, not all, of new conditions complied with

When ordering the property owner to redo the work, the commission once again set conditions. 

Young said most of them were followed this time. But, according to Perillie’s report, some work was late. 

She noted that Peter Romano of LandTech, an engineering firm, notified the office in November that the delivery of coir logs — which help control erosion — was delayed. The matter was referred to town attorneys, who recommended staff issue a municipal citation with fines of $150 a day.

That was done Nov. 17, her report states. “Mr. Romano did not submit the $990 citation fee until 1/24/22.”

At the October meeting, commission members asked if the owner would install a video camera so work could be monitored remotely, around the clock.

“The video monitoring was not completed by the applicant,” Perillie wrote.

Young noted at Monday’s meeting that two members, Michael Cammeyer and Paul Lebowitz, had asked about the video.

“They didn’t miss it,” Young said “It never happened. That’s one of the things that didn’t go as scheduled.” 

“But Michelle was out there and has inspected the site and concluded that it is in compliance,” Young said.