Tuesday night’s brief Rochester Conservation Commission meeting featured an unexpected twist as the commissioners approved full member Kevin Thompson’s request to be dropped down to an associate member.
The commission then voted to promote recently installed associate member Carl H. McDermott III to full membership. Chairman Chris Gerrior added that McDermott’s promotion will now need to be approved by the Select Board.
Gerrior explained after the vote that Thompson, a full member for four years, requested the downgrade because he was finding it hard to make the time to participate. “He was attending on Zoom,” Gerrior said. “It was hard for him to find the time. He has two school-age children. One has a regular commitment on Tuesday night.”
Gerrior also announced during the meeting that there was no update on the 89 Box Turtle Drive Enforcement Order. He said that is neither good nor bad news. The issue’s resolution is “going well,” said Gerrior.
The commission recently issued fines to the owner of 89 Box Turtle Drive for wetland code violations, specifically working closer than 25 feet from wetlands without a permit. After months of no contact with the board, the property owner’s attorney, Timothy Angley, appeared via Zoom in August to report that his client is engineering plans that were to be ready in mid-September.
The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, October 4, at 7:00 at Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School library and via Zoom.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Michael J. DeCicco