The third and final phase of the Mattapoisett Highway Department Building on Mendell Road received site-plan approval during the Planning Board’s September 15 meeting.
Renovations, including OSHA and FEMA improvements, were recognized as absolutely necessary for the “town barn” to remain an acceptable and vital part of municipal services. Yet with an estimated price tag for the long list of mandatory upgrades in the millions of dollars, it was at times a hard sell. Now some seven years since discussions began regarding the building’s needs, the final phase received the green light from the Planning Board.
The town’s engineering representative since the beginning has been Field Engineering’s Ken Motta. On this night, Motta told the board that everything from floor drains to a new fire service are part of the finished product. He said this final phase contained plans for a 2,222-square-foot addition, primarily new garage space and open spaces for employee breaks and office space.
The board was reminded that the Spring Town Meeting has approved a bond to cover construction expenses to the tune of $4,000,000. The Select Board recently approved a larger bond from which the Highway project will be funded.
Highway Surveyor Garrett Bauer said that a combination of certified free cash and the bond are the funding sources.
Motta said the location of the Highway Barn is a former gravel pit, that stormwater recharge is good with no adverse impact on surrounding properties was anticipated from the new construction. The plan as presented was approved.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, October 6.
Mattapoisett Planning Board
By Marilou Newell