Essex Board Opens Grown-Ups 3 Talks, Votes to Pursue Location Deal at Centennial Grove

ESSEX — April 13, 2026 — Essex Select Board opens negotiations with the Grown-Ups 3 production company over summer use of Centennial Grove, while tabling a commercial shellfish permit cap reduction until data arrives. Chair Alvin Guerrero, who handled location negotiations for the original 2010 film — licensed for $110,000 — said the board would seek substantially more this time, with informal discussion landing around $300,000 to $400,000 as a realistic floor, with $1 million floated as an opening position. Chris Bevilacqua of the Cape Ann YMCA told the board that nearly 200 children are already enrolled in Camp Dory and that the production company's June 8 through September 8 request would eliminate the entire summer camp season; the board agreed no deal moves forward without a fully funded alternative site, with the former Camp Menorah property the leading candidate pending inspection. Shellfish Constable Billy asked the board to lower the commercial permit cap from 94 to 60 to protect full-time local diggers when clam stocks recover, but the board continued the matter to April 27 pending 10 years of licensing data. The board voted 2-1 to formally endorse two override articles headed to voters at the May 4 Town Meeting, with one member abstaining on the grounds that the board should not direct voters on a ballot question.