News in Brief ROCKLAND: A FEDERAL CASE

The Army Corps of Engineers says the owners of a waterfront property need to obtain a general permit to rebuild a restaurant on the harbor pier. That could delay the project by a couple of months. Grapes restaurant was destroyed by arson Dec. 24, and demolition of the site began days later. Two weeks ago, Waterfront Group, the owner, thought the project had cleared most reconstruction hurdles, other than obtaining a building permit. Waterfront Group leases the restaurant to Grapes owners Mike and Kate Miller. But a March 21 letter to the owners by corps senior project manager Jay Clement says federal law “allows the repair and maintenance of existing currently serviceable structures without the need of obtaining written Corps of Engineers approval. … In your case, however, it is debatable whether or not the structure is currently serviceable.” It says the Federal Emergency Management Agency wants the restaurant and deck rebuilt to conform to national flood insurance standards, which means raising the structure six feet. (Leanne M. Robicheau, BDN)