The Mattapoisett Conservation Commission plans to open the public hearing on the proposed Mahoney’s Lane project Wednesday, October 28, at 6:30 pm in the Old Rochester Regional High School auditorium. Whether residents will be able to participate by Zoom remains unresolved.
At its September 28 meeting, the commission discussed how to accommodate the crowd expected for the hearing. Town officials said the auditorium has the space and equipment for an in-person presentation, but no Zoom setup is currently in place. The meeting is expected to be recorded and posted on the town website afterward.
Select Board member Nicole Doyon Lynch, an abutter, objected to the date and the prospect of an in-person-only hearing.
“It’s really unfortunate for something so consequential to so many people that if they can’t be there in person; it’s just too bad for the first hearing,” she said. Lynch said finding a later date was an option.
Commission Chair Michael King said scheduling has been difficult because two members must recuse themselves from the project and enough other members must be available to hear it. He said October 28 would be a “hard date” after the work involved in securing the auditorium.
“Between now and October 28th, we’ll have to see if we can figure out the Zoom situation,” King said.
Members said they expect the Mahoney’s Lane hearing to continue beyond October 28. Residents who cannot attend the first session can submit written comments. The October 28 meeting is planned for the Mahoney’s Lane project alone.
The commission spent much of Monday’s meeting on a separate, continued hearing concerning access to Shell Beach from Byrne Avenue. Revised plans include a pathway and access mats across a coastal dune, along with proposed parking and space for beach equipment. The changes have raised questions about effects on the dune and beach, the applicant’s property rights and whether neighbors received adequate notice of the expanded proposal.
Conservation staff said the latest revised plan had arrived the Friday before the meeting and that they had not yet received comments from the state Department of Environmental Protection. They sought more information about the dune boundary, the effects of removing an existing stone wall and the work proposed on the coastal beach.
Neighbors expressed differing views about parking and access. Several raised concerns about erosion and flooding, saying the beach has narrowed over time. Abutter Neil Musante questioned whether the revised work should proceed under the existing notice of intent and asked the commission to review its potential effects on the dune before deciding. The commission continued the hearing to October 14.
At 19 Shore View Avenue, the commission approved a proposal to place stone at the base of an existing seawall to address erosion beneath it. Members discussed whether moving the wall landward would cause greater disturbance. Conditions prohibit beach work from May 1 through July 31 and provide for the relocation of shellfish at the shellfish official’s discretion or a $100 contribution to the Shellfish Resource Department. The applicant must also submit a corrected wetlands application form.
The commission issued a negative determination for a septic-system repair at 1 Harbor Road and orders of conditions for work at 18 Pico Beach Road and 4 Pearl Street. The Pico Beach Road order includes a covered-dumpster condition. The Pearl Street approval is pending a revised plan that clearly shows erosion controls.
Members also amended an existing order of conditions for storm-damage repairs at 36 Water Street, requiring beach work to be done in the dry. They issued certificates of compliance for completed work at 17 Ned’s Point Road and 2 Jowick Street. The Randall Road resource-area delineation hearing was continued to October 14.
In enforcement matters, the commission discussed a site visit and exploratory trenches at 87 Fairhaven Road to determine conditions on the property. At 104 Angelica Avenue, members said the owner had not responded to an earlier enforcement order concerning Phragmites mowing in a salt marsh. They asked that another letter direct the owner to attend a commission meeting.
The commission voted to issue an enforcement order at 11 Sea Marsh Way after reviewing a neighbor’s complaint about a private-property sign and cable across part of the beach. Members said the barrier appeared to obstruct shoreline passage and called for its removal.
Mattapoisett Conservation Commission
By Jeanne Hopkins