Bay Club Neighborhood Stalled

The 30-minute meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board on May 15 was light on agenda items and lighter still on forward movement for the Shagbark neighborhood planned at The Bay Club.

Coming before the board was David McIntire who is seeking to sell the property to Northland Residential Corporation. In that effort, the two parties have been investigating methods and means to provide the Town with an acceptable surety.

Presently, lots are being held awaiting clearance that certain construction performance standards have been met. The Town and the McIntire team had studied cost estimates for roadwork in the upscale residential community, but felt that figures produced by Field Engineering, working on behalf of the Town, were too high. Those estimates were hundreds of thousands of dollars more than Northland and McIntire could agree to.

“We are still working on the numbers,” McIntire told the board members. He said that his team was looking at all options, including staying with lots being held as collateral. “We’ll be back,” he said, adding that he would keep the board informed as various financial mechanisms are explored.

Also returning to the board was David Andrews, director of Bay Club Real Estate Trust and Community Association.

Planning Board Chairman Tom Tucker and the members of the board thanked Andrews for hosting a site visit saying, “I’m amazed at the changes.” Tucker said that the site visit had been important and “very informative.”

Board member Janice Robbins declared, “It’s better than sitting in a room,” gesturing at the conference table covered in engineering plans and maps. Member Karin Field added, “It’s a nice project.”

Andrews said The Bay Club partners were studying public access points to Tinkham Forest, a condition set by the board, with the possibility of placing an article on the fall special town meeting warrant for voter consideration. He said there are concerns regarding traffic diversions onto Industrial Drive that flows onto North Street. He reported that he had been meeting with the town administrator and town counsel regarding the matter. Andrews said that a traffic study would be conducted to help with the process.

Andrews reminded the board that two lots are being held as surety towards the completion of roadways in the development, but until it is determined whether or not the public sewer will be constructed through existing roads, there was no point in putting a topcoat on roads that would eventually be “ripped up.” The board members concurred.

On the matter of the subdivision at Brandt Island Road, long a thorn in the side of the Planning Board, board member Gail Carlson, who is also a resident of the community, said that things were moving along. She said roads were being completed in Phase 1 along with guardrails and lighting. Carlson said septic issues remained incomplete, as did turtle fencing.

Tucker said the developer would be invited to the next meeting of the Planning Board to make a more complete report on the project.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for June 5 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

 

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