Farmer Mike King returned to the Mattapoisett Planning Board on July 7 having submitted a packet of requested documentation for the board at the previous meeting. On this night, the board was now prepared to render a decision regarding the site plan. The review was requested by King in his efforts to gain municipal acceptance of his farmstand at 84 North Street as allowed by the Dover Amendment.
Although it was noted that the requested materials were delivered late in the day, Chaiman Tom Tucker allowed the submissions given probable difficulties in timing due to the 4th of July holiday. The site plan review hearing was reopened.
Board member John Mathieu spoke first laying out in detail why the farmstand should be granted permission to operate… “I’m familiar with farms, I have plenty of clients that have farms. They have more than one location and those locations all constitute their farm. To further help because it’s not really truly defined (in the Dover Amendment) one of the things that a farm is required to do or may do is they obtain a farm plate for their vehicles. Part of the application form, the farm plate is application requires they list all their properties and locations in which their farms are operating so to me that is dictating that included in the definition of a farm you have to look at those things that the state recognizes for farms. There’s more than just one location so with that being said and looking at this and looking at knowing Mr. King operates up on Route 6, these two properties constitute his farm as far as I’m concerned.
So here we are with the site plan for this piece of property obviously we have a copy of his lease from the Fergusons …they’re leasing him the property as a farm, they’re excluding the dwelling house which is fine because the use is being dictated by Mr. King.
In this situation which is allowed and for that reason and for all the documentation he’s provided showing that he’s got a farm operation here and with this piece of property being 7.3 acres I believe his other property being two 2 1/2 acres, I mean he’s almost at 10 acres of land being farmed we’re also a Right To Farm community and farms are disappearing at a fast rate in Massachusetts.”
Mathieu continued, “It’s tough to find a piece of property to be a farm or that was a farm and here we got a piece of property which is going to be turned into a mini farm.”
Mathieu added, “For these reasons I think that he’s satisfied the required site review for this piece of property. He has shown that he’s providing plenty of parking, he’s providing an in and out (access) this is ample I think in my opinion for the use that he’s going to put there.” Mathieu also pointed to the amount of traffic generated by a nearby nursey school and a coffee shop. He said those businesses generate significant traffic on North Street. He also conjectured that the farmstand will slow traffic down.
Tucker asked for a motion to approve the site plan. All voted to accept and approve the site plan except for member Karen Field. Field was concerned with the late entry of information from King and wanted to ask questions. It was determined that her questions were not germane to a simple site plan review and were not included as part of the recorded proceedings.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for June 21 at 7:00 pm.
Mattapoisett Planning Board
By Marilou Newell