Company spokesperson Kevin O'Reilly says that Makepeace has met with Plymouth's planning board to talk about concepts, but he says the Cranberry Country Coalition, the group formed to oppose Makepeace's development plans for the 6,000 acres it owns here and in Wareham and Carver, "doesn't want to hear about concepts. It's interesting that they are opposed to a project that hasn't been presented. They want us to give them the land."

O'Reilly is referring to an offer made to Makepeace by a group of federal and state conservation groups to purchase a large portion of its property in this area. O'Reilly says that because of the "form and substance and timing and amount," the offer was rejected. The amount of the offer was not disclosed. "They think a strong PR push by the conservation groups will force Makepeace back to the table to accept the offer that was rejected," he says. "They keep saying there was a second offer. If a new offer came up, we would look at it. But there was no second offer."

Susan Peterson, spokesperson for the Coalition, concedes that there has not yet been a formal second offer. "Technically he's right," she says, referring to O'Reilly. "There has not yet been a formal offer but the Conservation Partnership has been meeting with Makepeace. There are ongoing discussions."