Our readers had passionate, although mixed opinions on whether or not Dennis Holland should have to remove his boat restoration project from his yard. Many of you are sure to be quite happy to hear of this settlement.
The city of Newport Beach and boat builder Dennis Holland have agreed to settle their long-running dispute over the 72-foot ketch Shawnee in a way that will allow Holland to complete his restoration of the historic craft.
The boat has been under restoration since 2006 at Holland’s home on Holiday Road just off Irvine Avenue. The city passed an ordinance in 2010 and then filed a lawsuit this year to get Holland to remove the boat. The suit was set to go to trial on Monday in Orange County Superior Court. 
According to the terms of the agreement, obtained by the Independent, the boat will be disassembled by Holland and stored in a way that does not violate the city’s municipal code.
Holland says that the disassembled boat will remain on his property and be moved to his backyard in a way that will not be seen by neighbors or violate the city’s ordinance restricting projects like his. The boat currently is in a large side yard adjacent to Holiday Road and can be seen easily from the street.
Holland, who spoke to the Independent late Friday, said he was “really relieved and kind of mind-boggled” about the sudden agreement that he believes will now allow him to finish the boat’s restoration while giving the city what it wants.
“The city wants the boat moved, and that’s what we’re going to do – move the boat,” Holland stated.
Holland and his attorneys, Richard Higbey and Jim Miller of Newport Beach, were able to come to the agreement with the city Friday afternoon. Under the agreement, Holland also will drop a counter-suit he had filed against the city.
Courtesy of www.newportbeachindy.com.
Mr Holand has been doing this for years he nor the rest of us from Newport asked all these people to move in now that make the same kind of laws that move most of us aray from where we grew up. We used drive past to see what is being worked on since it was such a couriosity.
While in Huntington beach they alowed a couple to build a ferro cement boat in their back yard and even was written up in the OC register. I say good for anyone who will follow their dream and boo to those who would move into someone elses neighborhood then say you cant do that becuase we never allowd it where we are from.
Do you think it is the project itself that is the problem or the fact that it had been going on for so many years with no definitive end date that caused the new legislation?
He is making progress on the boat.
But the fact that he had to fight cancer and the city, makes the city SUCK that much more! Newport Beach could have given him a piece of city land to park it on, but they are a bunch of self serving indian givers! This use to be a famous boating town. People like Boogie, Buddy Epson, and others sailed here. Now we are know for house flipping, greed and law suits. Not a friendly boating city anymore. The city pretty much validates this claim.
I believe that a man who pays his taxes has the right to use his property to support his dreams and hobbies . It shouldnt matter if its boats , cars or a pig pen .