Would the Rochester Planning Board ever fine the Buzzards Bay Coalition?
On June 28, the board came close to doing so as it reviewed violations of town Planning Board regulations on Marion Road.
Approximately two years ago, Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson said the coalition cut trees on 55 acres that it owned on Marion Road without allowing the board to review the project details. What has been done since on the property, which is now owned by a farmer, is an improvement said Planning Board member Michael Murphy. “But documentation to us is still needed,” he said.
Board members said it would set a bad precedent to let the current landowner off the hook. They said the owner should come before the board to discuss the plan for the parcel.
The members ultimately decided to send a certified letter to the new landowners, explaining that if they refuse to respond to requests for a meeting or a plan, the panel will start fining them.
The board indicated the Buzzards Bay Coalition may or may not be the one directly fined this time around.
In other action, the Planning Board endorsed an Approval Not Required application for a land swap at 332 Mendell Road.
The owners of a home and the “Arch at the Meadow” performance and event venue at that address wish to move their driveway to their home lot, instead of its current location, straddling the business and home lots. The board concluded this project does not need site-plan approval.
The Planning Board will meet next on Tuesday, July 12, at 7:00 pm.
Rochester Planning Board
By Michael J. DeCicco