Water/Sewer Pitches New Building

            A new municipal building is being planned for the Mattapoisett Water and Sewer Departments. During the February 12 meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board, members heard from Henri Renauld, Water and Sewer superintendent, regarding the new building plans.             Renauld stated that a combination of revenue sources will be used to offset the early […] Read more »

MassDOT to Change Fork into Turn

            Reconfiguration of the intersection of Front and Spring Streets at Brew Fish restaurant from its present fork design into a hard turn is one of two changes coming to the stretch of Route 105 seaward of Route 195.             The entry to Washburn Park off Front Street just southeast of the 195 interchange will […] Read more »

School Closure Leads Storm Prep

The Old Rochester Regional School District and Massachusetts Superintendency Union #55 announced on their Facebook page today that ORR District schools will be closed on Tuesday, February 13, due to the anticipated winter storm that is predicted to bring unfavorable conditions to the area. ORR District schools include ORR High School, Junior High and the […] Read more »

Short-Term-Rental Bylaw Down to Details

            In order to preserve neighborhood character and maintain the distinct difference between investors who buy houses just to rent them out short term and those in the business of operating a rental establishment and also live on the premises, the Marion Planning Board is fine-tuning a bylaw on short-term rentals that it hopes will […] Read more »

Testing of Bogs Debated for Several Hours

            After several hours of debate and the sharing of technical data regarding stormwater flooding that recently occurred at the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Bogs site and the concern that possible hazardous chemicals were transported to freshwater wells, Tuesday night’s public hearing with the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission resulted in a continuation.             Early in the Enforcement […] Read more »

Biofuels Conditioned for Solar Project

            Including a condition the petitioner had wanted excluded, Rochester’s Conservation Commission Tuesday approved the Order of Conditions for BWC Snows Pond LLC’s plan to build a 2.39 megawatt, solar-energy array on 12.55 acres of a 31.23-acre parcel at 0 Cushman Road.             In a previous meeting, the commission requested that the conditions should include […] Read more »

COA Adopts Town’s Personnel Bylaw

The Rochester Council on Aging adopted the town’s Personnel Bylaw as written in a January 31 public meeting that town officials attended to allay fears that attempts were being made to take away the COA’s authority to hire its own employees.             A January Special Town Meeting article proposed revising the town’s Personnel Bylaw to […] Read more »

Highway Department Upgrades to Begin

The February 5 meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board found architect Stephen Kelleher and Highway Surveyor Garrett Bauer getting what they have long striven to receive – approval to move forward with Phase 1 planning for the highway barn renovations.             As noted in the approved architectural agreement, the scope of Kelleher’s work on various […] Read more »

Fire, Highway Get ARPA Boost

            The Rochester Select Board began its Monday meeting by spending over $135,000 of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds on the Fire and Highway departments.             The board approved Fire Chief Scott Weigel’s request for $95,150 for 15 new mobile radios and 40 new portable radios and Highway Surveyor Jeffrey Eldridge’s request […] Read more »

Cemetery Regulations Draw Crowd

Residents and others who have loved ones buried in Marion crowded into the Town House’s Annex meeting room on Tuesday night to air their concerns about proposed changes to the town’s Cemetery Rules, Regulations and fees during a public hearing before the Marion Select Board.             Citing altogether new regulations and changes to most of […] Read more »