Windstar Farm Owner Settles With State Over Cleanup Plan

SANDWICH – A Brookline man and his companies will have to cleanup and restore Windstar Farm in Sandwich after striking a settlement with the Attorney General’s Office.

Amit Kanodia, who controls SNK Corporation and 354-360 Washington Street LP, failed to maintain the 223-acre property as an agricultural resource, according to the AG’s complaint.

Kanodia will have to implement a restoration plan and will have to take steps to curb trespassing and vandalism at the property, which is largely idle at this time.

“This settlement means that the defendants now will be held to their legal obligation to preserve Windstar Farm as an agricultural resource for the benefit of the state and its taxpayers, which invested heavily in protecting this farm,” said Attorney General Maura Healey. “The settlement paves the way for the long-term use of Windstar Farm as productive farmland for Cape Cod and beyond.”

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources paid $990,000 in 1982 to implement an Agricultural Preservation Restriction at the property, meaning anyone who owns the land is obligated to keep the property suitable for active farming.

Kanodia’s companies will need to remove trash, debris, overgrowth, brush, and invasive species from the land and will have to plant crop in the property’s primary field.

“Voluntary participation in Massachusetts’ Agricultural Restriction Program allows farmers an alternative to developing prime farmland and helps ensure the continued success and viability of Massachusetts’ vibrant agricultural economy,” said Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Commissioner John Lebeaux. “This settlement agreement will ensure that valuable Cape Cod farmland protected from development using taxpayer resources is restored to long-term productive agricultural use.”

About CapeCod.com NewsCenter

The award-winning CapeCod.com NewsCenter provides the Cape Cod community with a constant, credible source for local news. We are on the job seven days a week.



CapeCod.com
737 West Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
Contact Us | Advertise Terms of Use 
Employment and EEO | Privacy