MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Conservation Commission has called for access to a popular crabbing and fishing spot on Goodspeed Island to be unimpeded after a nearby homeowner attempted to prevent public access to the area.

According to Mattapoisett Conservation Commission member Dave Nicolosi, the town received a notification that the residents of 1 Goodspeed Island Rd. removed vegetation from the resource area on town property and erected a wooden fence that connected to a guardrail.

“I believe that was to prevent public access to the fishing grounds for crabbing and stuff like that,” said Nicolosi at a Dec. 19 meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board. “They also put up private property signs which may or may not be on their property…and tried to make it look like you shouldn’t be walking through there.”

According to Nicolosi, “[The homeowner] reached out to us through their engineer. They seem to be very amenable in doing whatever they need to do to rectify the situation.”

Nicolosi said that signs should be installed that make the border between private property and public property more evident.

He also said that “two or three” cedar trees were planted. “I think [the cedar trees] position is intended so when they grow — they will grow into each other,” said Nicolosi. He asked for at least one of the trees to be removed in order to promote public access.

“I fully support whatever the town thinks is appropriate,” said Mattapoisett Conservation Commission Chair Michael King.

“Any restriction to public access, any markings — of which there are several on town property, and basically anything that tries to prohibit or prevent anyone from accessing that resource area or get down there to utilize the resources as it should be available to all of the public, is strictly prohibited,” said Select Board Member Jordan Collyer. “I’m fine with it looking nice, but the access is an issue.”

King called for a survey crew to analyze the area in the near future.

“We’re going to want a visible post that is three or four feet high, [leaving] no doubt that public property is on [one] side of it,” said King.