Captain Jon Tolley at April 2025 Yarmouth Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.
SOUTH YARMOUTH – Yarmouth Special Town Meeting has approved a zoning amendment for live lobster sales after the case of a local lobsterman who was told to stop selling the product from his house.
The amendment makes it so that retail sales in a residential zoning district will require a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals and will be limited to live lobsters that were personally caught.
Yarmouth’s long history as a seaside community with commercial fishing was noted in the town meeting guide.
The article centered on the case of “Captain Jon” Tolley, a local lobsterman who sold from his house for decades before being told that the sales were not allowable in a residential zone.
Multiple board meetings were packed by Tolley’s supporters this year who called for a change to be made.
Those supporters continued to be vocal at the Monday town meeting, which quickly approved the article with a two-thirds majority. One woman said, “Why can’t Jon sell from his home that he’s been doing for over 50 years? It is absolutely ridiculous that it has gotten to this point.”
Yarmouth board members noted that signage was also a source of the complaint that caused the original action against Tolley. The town meeting article that was approved spells out that signage shall be limited to one non-illuminated A-Frame style sign, not to exceed six square feet, to be located on property during hours of operation.
By Jim McCabe, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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