The Marion Conservation Commission met on Wednesday, September 9, at 7:00 pm to vote and hear from citizens seeking to modify their properties in accordance with the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act.
Doug Guey-Lee, town planner and conservation agent, reported the recent removal of overgrowth and trees at 4 West Avenue on Planting Island, which town officials estimate has been uninhabited for decades. Guey-Lee said he plans a site visit with a representative of the property owner before the property, which includes a 3,794-square-foot home, is sold.
The meeting also included a public hearing for Katherine Cunningham’s Request for Determination of Applicability for residential landscaping, including the addition of a retaining wall and patio, walkways and drainage improvements for 143 Cross Neck Road.
Cunningham was present to describe the development, which she broke down into five separate projects. First, she noted the peat stone, cobblestone path at the front entrance. The front would also include a 2-foot-tall fieldstone retaining wall and repairs to the existing retaining wall along the side of the house. They would reinforce the septic pipes near the porch with gravel. They also planned drainage improvements for an area previously washed away. Finally, the existing deck would be expanded and converted into a patio.
After the short presentation, Chair Shaun Walsh said, “Clearly there’s some exterior work on the landscaping side there that has to be done, and it’s not just all aesthetic either.” The commission then closed the hearing with no questions from members or the community. At the end of the meeting, the ConCom voted unanimously for a Negative Determination, citing “work does not require the filing of a Notice of Intent.”
Next was the Public Hearing for Benjamin Dion’s Notice of Intent for the proposed construction of a four-bedroom single-family dwelling with a pool, pool house and barn at 0 Cross Neck Road.
Dion noted that, due to the location of a neighbor’s septic system and negotiations with that neighbor, the project’s grading plan was changed, with the house slightly raised above grade. The chair said the ConCom had not yet received a file number from the Department of Environmental Protection, needed for DEP review and decision-making. Chair Walsh recommended continuing the hearing to the next meeting on September 23, and the commission approved it.
The commission then quickly approved and issued four requests for Certificates of Compliance: 143 Cross Neck Road, 5 Tucker Lane, and two for 635 Mill Street. The town planner reminded the commission that they will visit 57 Dexter Road on Tuesday, September 15, at 1:00 pm.
The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, September 23, at 7:00 pm in the Marion Police Station.
Marion Conservation Commission
By Sam Bishop and Zakary Sarkarati