Billionaire concerned in Nantucket clam shack battle: That is no David vs. Goliath story

Native Information

A proposed Nantucket restaurant has turn out to be the middle of a debate between two billionaires.

The newest chapter within the ongoing saga of billionaires battling over a Nantucket clam shack was written final week when Charles Johnson walked into the workplace of The Nantucket Present to inform his aspect of the story to native reporters.

Johnson, a 90-year-old who made his fortune heading funding agency Franklin Assets, can be the principal proprietor of the San Francisco Giants. A seasonal resident of Outdated North Wharf, Johnson has made headlines this 12 months for his opposition to Straight Wharf Fish Market, a proposed restaurant instantly subsequent to his property. 

In a lawsuit filed in Might, Johnson requested Nantucket Superior Court docket to overturn the restaurant’s liquor license as a result of, partially, officers ignored “visitors, noise, congestion, and parking” issues. Johnson additionally claimed that the conversion of a retail fish market to a sit-down restaurant with an leisure license would create a “deleterious impact on the abutting residential neighborhood.”

Because the dispute made nationwide headlines, Johnson took umbrage with the perceived narrative surrounding the difficulty. It has been mischaracterized as a narrative of a rich villain waging struggle in opposition to native restaurateurs, he advised the Present. 

As a substitute, “it’s a billionaire versus a billionaire,” he advised the Present.

Johnson was reportedly referring to Steve Karp, the billionaire accountable for Nantucket Island Resorts. Karp, who owns many properties on the island together with that of the proposed clam shack restaurant, used his public relations crew to unfold a David vs. Goliath narrative, Johnson advised the outlet. 

Johnson and Karp linked earlier this 12 months over the telephone in an effort to hash out issues concerning the new restaurant. In line with the Present, a sticking level emerged concerning a second-story mechanical system on the outside of the restaurant dealing with Johnson’s property. 

He claimed that the system is an exhaust vent that might spit fumes from the business kitchen into his yard, whereas additionally making loud noise. One of many restaurateurs, Gabriel Frasca, advised the Present that the unit is a part of the HVAC system, not a kitchen exhaust vent, that will likely be screened in finally. 

Johnson advised the Present that Nantucket Island Resorts is favored by city officers as a result of the corporate supplies so many roles, and that he had hassle discovering legal professionals that didn’t have already got a battle of curiosity. 

When requested by the outlet why he had not reached again out to Karp instantly concerning the difficulty, Johnson reportedly mentioned that it could be akin to “pissing within the wind.”