Rochester Planning Board member Mike Murphy stepped up his game on April 9, clearly exceeding the expectations of the board with a sugar-shocking supply of candy straight out of a grown boy’s dreams.
Murphy, the apparent candy man to the board, is depended upon every meeting to deliver an assortment of the favorite candies enjoyed by members predominantly seated on the west end of the conference room table. This week, Murphy slid two plastic tubs of various colored and mixed candies across the conference table like it was a Candy Land game board and Murphy was challenging them to a game.
Meanwhile, representatives for the Site Plan Review and Groundwater Protection District Special Permit request for Attorney Patricia McArdle on behalf of Sofia Darras presented the board with two plan change proposals. The first was the elimination of a swale left of the lot at 565 Rounseville Road, Plumb Corner, with that being replaced with two catch basins. The second was the removal of a section of pipe at the stormwater discharge into the wetlands and the introduction of some riprap and concrete there to improve the conditions.
The representatives said that their client would next prepare a draft Approval Not Required as a result of the plan changes and subsequently complete a land conveyance to swap equal amounts of land between the abutting properties affected by the project, including the proposed 22-duplex age-restricted residential development slated for next door.
Easements will also be granted for septic and infiltration and construction.
The hearing was continued, however, because McArdle wanted further time to communicate with Darras over the latest plan proposal.
In other matters, the board granted an Approval Not Required request for Muriel and Joseph Dvorski, 349 High Street. The board members to the west of the table didn’t comment much as they chewed and then rolled their tongues around and between their teeth and gums, hands clasped as if quietly waiting for an appropriate amount of time to pass before reaching for another candy.
Planning Board member to the east, John DeMaggio, gave in to the urge to get up and reach long for a flawless candy grab 48 minutes into the meeting. After, as he looked west, his face expressed an obvious regret over not having grabbed a bigger handful.
The next Planning Board meeting will feature the public hearing for the Smart Growth Overlay District Zoning Bylaw slated for the Annual Town Meeting Warrant. Johnson said he hopes for a good turnout of residents who still have questions “in order to make a proper and good decisions on the night of Town Meeting.”
The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for April 23 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Senior Center.
Rochester Planning Board
By Jean Perry