At their meeting on November 19, the Rochester Conservation Commission wrapped up the three Abbreviated Notices of Resource Delineation filed by Joe Harrison on behalf of Sunraise Investments, LLC for three properties: 0 Featherbed Lane, 0 Cushman Road, and 0 Snipatuit Road.
Over the course of the last couple months, Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon and consulting wetlands specialist John Rockwell have been working together to confirm a cumulative 9,800 linear feet of wetland boundaries – nearly two miles long.
All three ANRADs were accepted after the appropriate modifications were made and finally confirmed by Farinon.
Two abutters were present pertaining to an issue with access, but since these were filings for ANRADs to delineate wetland lines and not for a specific project, the matter was not taken up in discussion.
“I don’t have an answer for you right now,” Prime Engineering representative Julie Goodwin told the two gentlemen. “That would come at the next step, which would be the Notice of Intent filing.”
Farinon did caution Goodwin, however, that the engineer would be wise to resolve the matter of access to the site that is slated for a large-scale solar array field before filing the Notice of Intent; otherwise, said Farinon, the matter could become “a very challenging, difficult situation.”
The commission had to reschedule the public hearing for the Notice of Intent filed by Steen Realty & Development Corp. for the 40R affordable housing development at 22 Cranberry Highway, known as Rochester Crossroads.
In order to open a public hearing for the project, which entails 208 residential units, a clerical matter involving an abutter notification snafu will need to be rectified, and the hearing will have to be re-advertised and re-posted.
The commission discussed possibly scheduling a site visit, which was the preference of the applicant in order to “keep the ball rolling downfield” as the engineer wrote in his letter, but town counsel had urged the commission to wait until the hearing was opened.
The hearing will now be held on December 17.
The public hearing for the Notice of Intent filed by Pedro Rodriguez for Solar MA Project Management, LLC, 0 Walnut Plain Road and 0 Old Middleboro Road, was continued until December 17, at the applicant’s request.
The commission is still in need of an additional member. Anyone interested in serving on the commission may address a letter of interest to the Board of Selectmen.
The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission will be on December 3 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Jean Perry