During a quick pre-Special Town Meeting scheduled meeting, the Rochester Board of Selectmen on November 19 voted to refrain from exercising its right of first refusal for 440 Snipatuit Road. The Chapter 61A agricultural use property consists of a house and two acres of cranberry bogs. As a Chapter 61A property, the right of first […] Read more »
School Superintendent Doug White has requested $143,817 in capital spending to provide Rochester Memorial School with security camera upgrades, a field irrigation system, and also a math curriculum materials renewal, items that White told the Rochester School Committee on November 15 are outside the scope of the regular school budget. “We’re looking at trying to […] Read more »
At long last, the Marion Conservation Commission, with Chairman Jeff Doubrava on speakerphone, issued an Order of Conditions for the controversial application filed by Mark Ross. Ross, represented by Nick Dufresne of Farland Corp., was requesting to raze an existing dwelling and rebuild at 195C Converse Road. Doubrava, with other commission members, had questioned the […] Read more »
After the hurricanes of 1938 and 1954 blew away the first and then second home built at 31 Shawmut Road, the latest property owner, Giovanni Cimino, is ready to build a third house with a slightly-altered plan previously denied by the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission but approved by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Piggy-backing off […] Read more »
The Marion Board of Selectmen reviewed a report detailing the estimated costs of three different options for Marion regionalizing with Wareham, Bourne, Plymouth, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy for sewer services on November 20, According to Town Administrator Paul Dawson, the study completed by GHD looked at three options: A. connect to the 21-inch interceptor […] Read more »
The Marion Planning Board tackled two tough topics on November 19, which was reflected in the late hour of the meeting’s adjournment. The board first met with Sherman Briggs to continue the discussion about the Residence E project Briggs has proposed for his Spring Street property. At issue is the ability of the board to […] Read more »
The three Green Communities Act zoning articles on Rochester’s Special Town Meeting warrant all passed on November 19, which means Rochester is now ready to proceed towards Green Community designation. Board of Selectmen Chairman Greenwood “Woody” Hartley was sure he had a presentation that would eliminate any doubt that Rochester should meet the requirements of […] Read more »
Developers of a proposed solar energy project on Sarah Sherman Road will have to abide by the 100-foot property setbacks of the solar bylaw and reconfigure its placement of solar arrays after the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals on November 8 denied Clean Energy Collective’s request for setback relief. According to Greg Carey from CEC, […] Read more »
On November 7, Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon for the Rochester Conservation Commission once again discussed the status of the Notice of Intent filing by REpurpose Properties whose plans to construct 22 duplexes adjacent to the Plumb Corner Mall has been bogged down with water runoff issues. “We’ve been working behind the scene dealing with the […] Read more »
It’s now the home to the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center, but the Marion Affordable Housing trust thinks the 6.48-acre property that was once the old VFW might be a feasible location for some affordable housing. On November 13, the trustees inched closer to exploring this option. Administrator Terri Santos summarized her recent search efforts […] Read more »