During the June 23 meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Health, members Ken Dawicki, Russell Bailey, and Chairman Carmelo Nicolosi quickly approved what had previously been a contentious septic system design when representative David Davignon presented them with an amended plan.
Property owner Robert Malm, Aucoot Road, had first asked for several waivers for a septic design that would have placed the system in jurisdictional areas, using what abutters believed to be unacceptable testing results and inaccurate wetland boundaries.
For Malm, the application was based on his hope to preserve a northern quadrant of the large parcel for future subdivision among family members. Under that plan, it would have been necessary to place the system completely within the boundaries of a southern portion, requiring waivers to the wetland setbacks. The updated design would have the system leach into the northern area outside the wetlands buffer zone, Davignon stated.
Approval was granted, including waivers from regulation, as the percolation test was performed in the most restrictive area using Title 5 standards, and another waiver that read, “Applicant requests a waiver as one of the two percolation rates was greater than 1 inch in 20 minutes. Title 5 now allows a perc rate of up to 1 inch in 60 minutes for new construction.” No abutters attended the meeting, and no correspondence was read into the minutes objecting to the updated design.
Also granted on this day were waivers requested by Michael McGreavy, 4 Bayberry Lane, for possible future construction of an addition to an existing home that would need a variance to the minimum setback to a cellar wall of less than 10 feet from a leaching area.
Properties located at 14 and 15 Brandt Island Road, owned respectively by Stephen Napolitano and Ralph Cotellesso, also received requested waivers. Justification for waivers on both properties to setback requirements were waived, given that percolation tests were conducted in the most restrictive materials, Horizon C-2 Title 5 below the maximum seasonal high groundwater table. These cases were also represented by Davignon.
Earlier in the meeting, the board met with Public Health Nurse Emily Field, who reported the discontinuation of weekly COVID-19 statistics, given that cases have almost completely reached zero. She said new protocols would be forthcoming from the state but that contact tracing was winding down. Field said that vaccines are still being offered, especially to the homebound of all ages. Those residents still needing vaccines should call her office to schedule an appointment, she said. The Public Health Office number is 508-758-4100, extension 213.
Field reported that more concerning now is the number of tick bites, some resulting in secondary infections such as anaplasmosis. She urged the public to use protective clothing and to check for ticks on the body after going into wooded areas.
Regarding the health agent vacancy, Nicolosi said that a search is underway but that agents are hard to find. In the meantime, the department is using personnel from neighboring communities to assist in the field as needed. Nicolosi asked the board members to also assist whenever possible.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Health was not scheduled upon adjournment.
Mattapoisett Board of Health
By Marilou Newell