Residents in the beach neighborhood located off Dyar Road came before the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission on December 8 with a Notice of Intent filing for the maintenance of a beach pathway.
The filing reads, “The applicant (8 Dyar Road Nominee Trust) propose maintaining the footpath section of Byrne Avenue and Shell Beach Road.” The maintenance activities were defined as light pruning and clearing of vegetation and the clearing of other debris and other obstructions as necessary to maintain community neighborhood beach and boating access, while maintaining the health and stability of the coastal pathway on Shell Beach Road.
What ensued was a difference of opinion between the applicant and at least one other resident of the area who took umbrage to the filing. The trust’s applicants are Lizanne and Malcom Campbell and Margaret and David Wizansky. Campbell spoke for herself and other residents in the area who collectively sought the Notice of Intent conditioning.
After Campbell’s comprehensive detailing of the proposed work in jurisdictional areas, Stephen Vaitses of 5 Dyar Road approached the conference table to share his concerns. He said that previously Campbell had performed cleanup of the pathway and placed signs stating that boats and other watercraft could no longer use the beach area or leave items along the pathway.
For roughly an hour, the commission heard varying descriptions of work that had taken place. The commission was aware of a superseding Order of Conditions, but the actual document memorializing that was not available.
Commission Chairman Mike King at several points during the narratives offered by Vaitses and Campbell noted that the neighbors should get together to hash out differences and that the commission was not law enforcement.
In the end, the filing did receive conditioning with a special condition being that other people in the neighborhood utilizing the pathway have the same rights as Campbell for maintenance (no plantings).
Also coming before the commission was Andy Stackpole of Field Engineering with a Notice of Intent filed by Leslie and Maxwell Richmond, 4 Parker Street for the demolition of an existing garage and construction of a new one. The filing received conditioning.
After several attempts to receive conditioning of his Notice of Intent filing, Colin Labrie, 7 Hollywoods Road succeeded. He explained that the most recent plan now calls for a 7,000 square-foot reduction of disturbed area, no work in the buffer zone, and the planting of green giant arborvitaes.
A Certificate of Compliance was issued to Robert Bourdon for work completed at 6 Meadowbrook Lane.
The commission had received a complaint for disturbance of a stream located at 3 Melissa Anne Lane. They ordered a letter be sent to the property owner to come before the commission to discuss the matter.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, December 22.
Mattapoisett Conservation Commission
By Marilou Newell