During a morning meeting on June 9, Mattapoisett Town Administrator Michael Gagne met with a group that included Brendan Annett, vice-president of Watershed Protection for the Buzzards Bay Coalition, Highway Surveyor Barry Denham, Conservation Agent Elizabeth Leidhold, Ken Motta of Field Engineering, and members of the Mattapoisett Historical Commission to discuss the status of the Acushnet Road culvert/dam replacement roadway project.
The site is the location of the Tubb Mill, commonly referred to as the Tinkham Sawmill. The culvert collapsed some months ago requiring emergency repairs; however, the regulations, documents, and levels of review necessitated primarily by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation have pushed the construction start date into October.
Gagne reported to the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen the evening of June 9 what he learned during the earlier meeting. He shared that the state requires a stepped series of construction drawings with each step being reviewed by the DOT before approval to move further along in the process is given. In April 2014, Field Engineering, in partnership with Denham and Leidhold, reached the first DOT construction drawing milestone of 25 percent completion. In December 2014, the work was 75 percent completed, and now, finally, 100 percent has been completed in June 2015.
In December, Motta also began working with Annett on necessary conservation remediation to compensate for areas around the river that will be disturbed by the construction. Several options were debated.
On June 9, Annett signed off on plans that will allow the majority of the remaining mill stones – large granite stones placed along the river’s edge as it cascades over what remains of the mill works upstream – to stay in place. Some stones will be re-purposed for aesthetics in the culvert area. The Massachusetts Historical Commission, as well as Mattapoisett’s Historical Commission, were both required to review restoration plans to ensure that what historical assets remained in the area were treated in a manner they found reasonable. The plan also achieved those goals.
At this point, Gagne said, plans, specifications, and project estimates may be completed and released for public bidding in the near future. Timing will be critical, he said, for two reasons.
First, the concrete culvert will take up to 30 days to cure, and second, the asphalt plants shut down in December. Denham aims to get the culvert work completed sometime in October so that there is sufficient time to repave the majority of Acushnet Road before winter sets in. With that in mind, Gagne asked permission to release the culvert portion of the project once the specifications have been prepared, to which the selectmen agreed.
Gagne said he wants to give the residents a realistic picture of the process and where the project stands with the variety of approvals that were and continue to be required to get the road re-opened. He said that the Town’s website will have updated information for the public.
The road has been closed many long, frustrating months for residents. On this night, Board of Selectmen Chairman Jordan Collyer gave voice to his frustration.
“I think it is absolutely pathetic it takes this long to do an emergency repair.” He continued, “It seems incomprehensible…. In the private sector, this wouldn’t fly.”
In other business that night, the selectmen signed a bond for $1.4 million for the continuation of water and sewer upgrades.
Mattapoisett Police Chief Mary Lyons received a letter from Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security announcing recognition of Sergeant Jason King, Officer William McIlmail, Officer Dennis Tavares and Officer Turner Ryan for “going above and beyond their law enforcement duties in rendering medical assistance to a person in need.” An awards ceremony is planned for June 11 at 10:00 am at Bentley University.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen is scheduled for June 23 at 7:00 pm in the Mattapoisett Town Hall conference room.
*Correspondent Marilou Newell is a member of the Mattapoisett Historical Commission and attended the June 9 morning meeting as a commission member.
By Marilou Newell
