In long-running feud over Johnson's Pond, dam owner orders the town out, and its dog pound too.

COVENTRY – The long-running feud over Johnson's Pond has taken a wild turn, with the private company that controls the water level ordering the town to remove its dog pound and residents' docks.

In a letter last Thursday, Douglas Soscia of Soscia Holdings LLC, said he would not be renewing the lease that allows Coventry to use the pond and the open space around it for recreation. He demanded that the structures be removed by the end of March, when the lease expires.

"The Town of Coventry is prepared to protect the legal interests of its citizens with respect to any of the speculative measures set forth in the most recent release by Mr. Soscia and will exercise those options as necessary," Town Manager Daniel Parillo responded in a one-sentence news release.

Why a private company controls Johnson's Pond

Johnson's Pond is technically a reservoir, not a pond, and Soscia Holdings has owned the dam that controls its water level since 2020. Ever since then, residents have complained about the water level periodically plummeting, leaving them unable to use their boats and jet skis.

In 2022, the state passed a law that requires Soscia Holdings (and all other dam owners) to get a permit from the Department of Environmental Management before raising or lowering water levels. Soscia is challenging the law in court.

The new twist in the saga involves a lease that Coventry entered into with the previous owner of the dam, Quidnick Reservoir Co., in 2009.

That lease, which Soscia Holdings took over, allows the town to oversee the use of the pond and nearby open space for "year-round recreational purposes," among other things.

Generally speaking, bodies of water are held in the public trust, allowing anyone to use them. But the situation with Johnson's Pond is complicated because the reservoir is manmade and was created by a private corporation to fuel the textiles industry. Soscia owns the water flow rights, which gives him an unusual degree of control.

What Soscia Holdings wants from the town

In his letter to the town on Thursday, Soscia said his company "has no intention of renewing or extending" the lease with Coventry beyond its March expiration date.

The town is responsible for returning the pond to him "in a condition free from any and all moorings, docks, boat lifts, boats, personal watercraft and other apparatus," he wrote.

An estimated 600 Coventry homeowners live on or near Johnson's Pond. Many of them have moorings, docks or boat lifts that would need to be removed under that condition.

Soscia also said that it had come to his attention that the Town of Coventry had built a dog pound that obstructs a right of way between Route 117 and the dam gatekeeper's residence.

"Soscia insists that this right of way be returned to Soscia, devoid of any structures or obstructions," he wrote.

What happens now?

Coventry Town Councilman Jonathan Pascua, who lives on Johnson's Pond and has pushed to get the water level restored, issued a statement on Thursday saying that the town's legal team was working with experts to figure out a solution.

"We do want you to know, we are working this problem and consistently have been for quite a while," he wrote. "Additionally, we are aware of deadlines, and soon you will learn more."

He added: "Giving too much information, too early is dangerous for the town and presents an avoidable risk to the very people we are working hard to protect."

Soscia has suggested that there are a number of development opportunities that would allow him to reap a profit from Johnson's Pond. He previously stated that an energy company had offered to pay $1.9 million a year to install a floating solar array, but that he was willing to make sacrifices to avoid that, according to the Kent County Daily Times.

In a post to a town Facebook group on Thursday, Soscia said his company had been unable to reach an agreement with Coventry about the expiring lease and was "moving forward with alternative plans for the property," but did not elaborate further.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Johnson's Pond owner Soscia Holdings will end lease with Coventry