Having done her homework, Johanna Vergoni of the Beverly Yacht Club came back before the Marion Select Board on July 30 to gain approval for firmed-up plans for the BYC’s 150th gala celebration scheduled for Saturday, July 23, from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm.
The special, one-agenda meeting was called to expedite requests the Select Board had made of Vergoni to tweak the event planning for the sake of more complete information regarding neighborhood impact and for the parking arrangement.
Asked to reach out to neighbors whose comings and goings would be impacted, Vergoni reported that all but one resident within the sphere of prescribed consideration was a BYC member.
Her other assignment was to shift parking from what would have become an over-capacity Sippican Elementary School to the more expansive area at Silvershell Beach. Either scenario planned for shuttle buses to the corner of Water and South Streets.
The board took two votes, one to approve Vergoni’s revised parking plan and the other to approve road closures in the area of the event. The road closure schedule will be from 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm, providing a half-hour cushion on both ends of the event.
Town Administrator Jay McGrail said that the town will work with the event organizers to ensure access to the Silvershell parking lot. McGrail reported no issues with the plan that concerned the Police or Fire chiefs.
The Select Board voted to affirm the plan and asked that the BYC send out a letter to a broader group of neighbors as a general notice and report back to the board with any negative feedback.
“If there are any complaints, they will call my office as well,” assured McGrail, who said he had not received any calls as of the June 30 meeting.
The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, at 6:00 pm under the Cushing Community Center Pavilion. In the case of inclement weather, the meeting will be held inside the center’s main building.
Marion Select Board
By Mick Colageo