Historic Shawnee to be Dismantled by September

He's been restoring his historic boat -- -- alongside his Newport Beach home for the past six years, but come September Dennis Holland's massive ship must be packed away.

Holland had been working on the boat on his Holiday Road property for quite some time, but city officials said the work was in violation of a city law adopted in 2009. Newport Beach reached a tentative settlement of its dispute with Holland last month, however city officials said it was inaccurately reported that Holland would be able to rebuild the boat in his backyard.

In a statement issued by the city on Monday, the terms of the settlement were outlined. According to the news release, the city did not agree to allow Holland to rebuild the boat in the backyard of his property stating, "the city informed Mr. Holland, prior to settling the lawsuit, that due to the sheer size of the boat, the city did not believe the boat could be restored on the property without violating the provisions of the Newport Beach Municipal Code."

As part of the settlement, Holland admitted his restoration project violated the city's code, has until September 1 to disassemble the Shawnee and is required to remove the boat parts from his property or store them in a way that does not violate any city codes.

In March Holland told Patch the 72-foot ship was built for one of the founding fathers of Newport Beach and was the first ship to sail through the Panama Canal and said it is a piece of Newport Beach history that "should be preserved."

Suppporters have created the web site, SaveShawnee.com to raise awareness about Holland's city issue. He is scheduled for a compliance hearing on September 12.

Do you think Holland's boat should be able to stay in his yard? Tell us in the comments.