King Says ConCom Trying To Keep Jurisdiction Local

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission Chairman Mike King has a message for the community: “This year, this commission is trying to condition as many projects as possible locally.”

King made this comment during the March 12 regular meeting of the commission in response to questions from resident Tom Gronski, who questioned King on the process used to evaluate applications.

“Do you say ‘no’ to people?” Gronski asked.

King responded, “We try not to say ‘no,’ but it’s fifty-fifty.”

King has expressed his desire to keep applications within the purview of the local authorities in other meetings as opposed to at the state level, believing that by doing so the Town’s interest are better served.

The applications in question were two Notice of Intent filings by Southeastern Building Corporation for a two-lot subdivision planned for Appaloosa Lane off River Road.

For several years, homeowners who had established homes on and near the lane complained to Town departments about inadequate stormwater drainage systems in the area. Developer Michael Salimando had been invited numerous times over the past several years to attend Planning Board meetings where abutters bitterly complained about the flooding issues brought on, they believed, by the lack of stormwater runoff.

Those issues were resolved when the Planning Board hired Field Engineering as a peer review consultant to oversee improvements in those systems before they would release the lots, being held as surety, to Salimando for sale.

On this night, King said Field Engineering, along with Highway Surveyor Barry Denham, had been working with Salimando regarding repairs and improvements to the drainage system.

Representing Salimando was Brian Grady of G.A.F. Engineering. Grady explained in detail the plans to collect stormwater runoff from roof surfaces and direct that water into underground chambers that would allow the liquid to re-charge into the ground versus pooling and running onto surrounding parcels.

Also expressing concern and questioning the plans were Daryl Fletcher and Patty and Andrew Apperson.

The Appersons questioned how the commission could enforce a proposed two-lot homeowners’ association covenant that would mandate maintenance of the in-ground drainage system. King pointed to pride of ownership and that most homeowners don’t want to lose their investment due to lack of maintenance.

The two NOI filings were approved and conditioned, but King advised the abutters that the Planning Board still had to approve the projects before construction would begin.

Also coming before the commission was William Fredericks, 30 Holly Woods Road, with a Notice of Intent filing for the alteration of 4,934 square feet of bordering vegetated wetlands for agricultural activities.

Represented by David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates, Inc., the project would allow Williams a better layout for land use, Davignon explained, and would provide environmental mitigation for the changes made to jurisdictional areas.

The project was conditioned with some special conditions added for monitoring of the remediated areas over two growing seasons.

David Nicolosi, 0 Marion Road, filed a Request for A Determination of Applicability for verification of the wetland resource area line, which was confirmed by Conservation Agent Elizabeth Leidhold, and he received a negative determination (no NOI required) from the commission.

Special conditions were briefly discussed for a Notice of Intent filing by Dennis Arsenault for a two-lot subdivision at the end of Snow Fields Road. The commission unanimously approved the Order of Conditions submitted by Leidhold.

Joshua Pell, 0 Angelica Avenue, represented by Christian McCullough of South Coast Design and Construction, received conditions for his Notice of Intent filing for the construction of a new elevated single-family home in a grandfathered coastal lot.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for March 26 at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

 

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