Mattapoisett Conservation Commission Chairman Mike King opened the January 27 meeting with an announcement: “In anticipation of one of our regular members resigning, there’ll be an opening on the board.”
He said that Chris Nicolosi would be unable to complete his term, having taken a job that would conflict with the commission’s meeting schedule.
King also stated that commission member Chapman Dickerson would miss a number of meetings. Dickerson recently joined the Mattapoisett Fire Department and would be in training sessions on Monday evenings, therefore unable to attend meetings for some weeks.
King expressed concern that making a quorum would be difficult under these circumstances, although former commission member Tyler Macallister, also a former selectman, had been sworn in as an alternate. That did not, however, guarantee that a quorum could be achieved.
While having related experience and training is a benefit, King said it wasn’t a necessity; all that is required is a positive intent.
“If you have a desire to protect and defend wetlands in Mattapoisett,” King said, then interested parties should send a letter of interest to the Board of Selectmen.
With that said, commissioners Trevor Francis, John Jacobsen, and King attended to the agenda.
David McIntire’s Notice of Intent for the expansion of agricultural activities at 0 Wolf Island Road was reopened with engineer Richard Riccio representing the applicant.
Riccio said that the wetlands had been delineated and confirmed with Conservation Agent Elizabeth Leidhold and that approximately six acres of trees were planned for removal, of which two acres were in a jurisdictional buffer zone.
King questioned why stormwater calculations were part of the documents submitted, asking if it was just to show that no impact would occur from the disturbance of transitioning a forest to a field. He broached what abutters previously had voiced as their concern that a solar array was planned for the parcel.
Ricci said that McIntire was “keeping his options open, but now only expanding the agricultural area.”
“I love to see any type of agriculture,” King commented.
The NOI was approved and issued an Order of Conditions.
Rich Charon of Charon Engineering represented John Grant, 5 North Road, who submitted a Notice of Intent for the razing of an existing home and the construction of a new residence in a flood-zone, including a new septic system. After discussions regarding the inclusion of stormwater collection and recharge on site and confirming that the project would meet all the performance requirements of FEMA, the application was approved and conditioned.
Also approved was an NOI submitted by James Craig, 0 Aucoot Road, for the selective removal of trees for the purposes of locating the best position of a future home site. Mat Leone of Schneider, Davignon and Leone, Inc., representing the applicant, was advised that the commission had received a letter from the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) specifically noting that the property in question had been mapped as a nesting site for the diamondback terrapin and, therefore, recommendations for protecting the habitat during and post-construction would be incorporated into the conditions.
A Notice of Intent filed by Michael and Aimee Bean, 15 Park Street, for the demolition of an existing garage and construction of a new garage, a 12×13-feet addition to the existing house, and an addition of a 13×20-foot screened-in porch was also approved with the condition that straw or compost wattles and silk screening are added to the conditional requirements.
A Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Stephen Napolitano for two lots located off Brandt Island Road was given a Negative determination (no Notice of Intent required) to complete perc testing. Discussion revealed that the property was in an area mapped by NHESP.
Napolitano also stated that a manmade ditch was discovered running between the lots he wished to develop.
King advised the applicant to hire an engineer to assist in further development of the site and to ensure regulations were being followed.
Also receiving a Negative determination was an RDA filed by the Town of Mattapoisett Harbormaster’s Office for the repair of timber members in an existing wale system.
An RDA submitted by Constance Pallatroni Living Trust, Sea Marsh Way, for the confirmation of coastal wetlands resource areas as determined by Stan Humphries, Environmental Consulting and Restoration, LLC, also received a Negative determination.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for February 10 at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall conference room.
Mattapoisett Conservation Commission
By Marilou Newell