Sippican School Principal Lyn Rivet is proud of Sippican School students’ performance on the new MCAS 2.0 results from last year, and Rivet reviewed the data with the equally proud Marion School Committee on November 29.

With 99 to 100%participation on the standardized test, Sippican School was already ahead of the state average.

“That’s a big point of proud,” said Rivet right off the bat.

Grade 5 science results showed that students scored above state average in both the proficient and advanced categories, resulting from the school’s focus on science advancement, Rivet said.

The school will advance further this year with the use of an enrichment teacher and cross-curriculum opportunities to stretch innovation and increase STEM/STEAM hands-on opportunities to propel achievement, guided by an emphasis on computer science

In Grades 3 through 6 English Language Arts, Rivet reported that the school as a whole performed very well compared to the state in meeting the expectations and exceeding the expectations in ELA.

A point of pride, Rivet said, was the school’s average score of 504.9 in this area, which is above the 500 point threshold of the state test.

Grades 3, 4, and 6 exceeded a 60% student growth level in ELA, and Grade 5 was just at that percentile.

The entire school in ELA exceeded the state across all standards, Rivet added, with Grades 4 and 5 exceeding the state in reading anchor studies.

In math, Grades 3 through 6, “Our students again,” Rivet said, “Very, very strong again…”

Points of pride: all grades scored an average of over 500 points, with 60% of the school either meeting or exceeding expectations.

“Students across all grade levels exceeded the state across nearly all standards,” said Rivet, “In many cases greater by ten points.”

Student growth in Grades 5 and 6 exceeded 60% or higher.

Rivet said the school administration would continue to analyze data and apply it to instruction and the school’s response to intervention, and also consider future professional development to keep teacher training in these areas fresh.

“I definitely think it’s a point of pride having looked at many sets of MCAS data that Sippican overall is above the state average on this new state test because it definitely is measuring a different skill set than what the old MCAS had done,” said School Committee Chairman Christine Marcolini. “As usual, you guys are already completely on top of the data.”

Rivet added that in ELA, 31 students scored just ten points shy of meeting expectations, and in math, 21 students scored ten points or less from meeting expectations.

Superintendent Doug White commented that student growth reflected in the 60% range should be recognized, saying, “[Student growth] is even more important than a test score,” adding that it means students are learning more and growing individually.

“Great job,” said committee member Michelle Smith. “You should be commended. Congratulations.”

The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for January 10 at 6:30 pm at the Sippican School community room.

Marion School Committee

By Jean Perry

It was a full agenda at the Marion Planning Board’s meeting on December 4. The evening was dominated by a lengthy discussion regarding the redevelopment plan for 111 Wareham Street.

The continued public hearing for the Site Plan review of the proposal for 111 Wareham Street centered on the peer review letter submitted by Tibbetts Engineering, the Planning Board’s consulting engineer firm for the project.

Representing the applicants was David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates, who meticulously addressed each of the substantive points raised by Tibbetts. The discussion by the board revolved around two key points: traffic and Marvel Street. Davignon presented a letter in support of his waiver request regarding a traffic study.

The letter from retiring Marion Police Chief Lincoln Miller and the new police chief Lieutenant John Garcia stated that there were no safety concerns regarding the entrance to the project.

Planning Board Chairperson Eileen Marum enumerated her serious concerns, citing a SRPEDD traffic study that described the Point Road and Route 6 intersection as dangerous. Davignon took issue with the relevance of the study, stating that the intersection was 500 feet from his client’s parcel.

“Tibbetts states that this proposal is a low generator of traffic – it’s not retail,” said Davignon. He also reminded the board that the Marion Police Department provided him with a report of the Hill Street intersection, which is considerably closer to the project, which showed three accidents in the past six years – one of which was weather related.

Marum stated she felt a traffic study was warranted for this project, which prompted Davignon to ask for a consensus of the board. While board member Chris Collings, who lives near the project, agreed that there are concerns about speed and traffic on Route 6 in that area, he was skeptical that the issue was part of the Planning Board’s responsibility.

“It is not in our wheelhouse,” said Collings. “The people we rely on (the police chiefs) are not worried.” Collings suggested to Marum that the board provide the police with the SRPEDD report.

Other board members agreed with Stephen Kokkins’ suggestion that signage be placed on Route 6 warning motorists of trucks entering and exiting the site. The board granted the traffic study waiver, with board member Andrew Daniel confirming the signage requirement will be a condition in the final permit, pending approval of signage on a state highway by MassDOT. Marum was the one vote in opposition to the waiver.

Members of the Planning Board had met with Davignon and Fire Chief Brian Jackvony to discuss the improvement of Marvel Street, which runs the length of the southwest property line and was to provide a secondary emergency egress for the site.

As was indicated at the previous Planning Board meeting, the street is cleared to just over 9 feet wide, and the proponents were suggesting that they clear and regrade the road as part of their permit.

The fire chief stated that he could not approve the project unless Marvel Street was improved to 20 feet wide and to the town’s specifications to support fire apparatus. Davignon acceded that his client was willing to improve the street to 18 feet wide, but that any greater width would require easements from abutting property owners.

Daniel, who had attended the meeting with the fire chief, noted that he and Building Commissioner Scott Shippey had discovered that Marvel Street is privately owned. As questions were raised as to the legal rights to the street, Collings observed, “Sounds like we are out of our wheelhouse. There is a difference between owners improving a right of way and the Planning Board mandating it.”

Davignon cut the discussion short by stating that he would simply remove the second entrance to the site, and put the matter to rest. Despite having a private well on the site, town policy requires that the property tie in to the municipal water supply. The well may still be used for irrigation.

Concerns about the significant discrepancy between the setbacks at the site and what was required by Marion bylaws triggered a request at the previous meeting for Davignon to compare the setback waivers that had been granted by the board to the three most recent approved projects. While Tibbetts in its review of the project had no concerns about the setbacks on the site, Davignon requested that he review his document nonetheless.

In describing the previous three waiver requests granted by the board, which were similar in nature to the waiver request he was making, Davignon illustrated his concern about what he sees as unreasonable setbacks for commercial development. He urged the board to review their setback requirements for commercial sites.

Board member Will Saltonstall felt that Davignon had made a compelling argument for a setback waiver and for review of setback requirements, asking rhetorically, “[What’s] the level of density on this site? [Does] the level of development impact the neighbors?”

The applicant is required to also go before the Board of Health for the setback waiver.

It was determined that the detail in the landscape plan was adequate so that a waiver could be granted for the requirement of a stamped plan by a landscape architect.

In other business, Marion Public Health Nurse Kathy Downey, Planning Board member Jennifer Francis, and Town Planner Gil Hilario gave updates to the Complete Streets program.

Downey began the presentation by specifying the impact the program would have on public health. She noted that small modifications to the town’s layout could provide considerable benefits to the town’s most vulnerable populations, who she described as the youth, the elderly, and those without access to transportation. Minor changes could provide opportunities for exercise, stress reduction, and access to food and medicine.

For the youth of the community, she said, “The layout of the town is an impediment… Short cul-de-sacs that end at busy roads are obstacles to exercise due to safety concerns.”

Downey urged the town to connect cul-de-sacs to bike and pedestrian paths.

For the elderly, who often struggle to maintain their independence, research has shown that the addition of street lights and reflective lines on roads make it easier for this population to continue to drive themselves. Downey observed that the Council on Aging provides transportation for the elderly, and that perhaps there was a way to expand that service to those of any age lacking their own transportation.

Some on the board expressed concern about the slow progress of the bike path coming to Marion, to which Downey replied, “[It] might not be right around the corner – that is the gold standard, but maybe there is something we can do less than the gold standard in the meantime to connect the cul-de-sacs?”

Daniel raised the issue of the ADA standards, expressing frustration with a lack of awareness of disabled members of the community, saying, “The cost outweighs the moral responsibility,” and he urged the other board members to keep the ADA requirements in mind as the planning process moves forward.

Francis weighed in on the Complete Streets program through her update on the Transportation and Circulation Task Force, informing the board that the committee is finalizing the Complete Streets Policy document that is required by the State as part of the application process.

The board will review the document at its next meeting.

The committee will be compiling a list of 15 priority items for possible funding through the program and is looking for public input. Hilario said that he receives a lot of feedback from town residents seeking more transportation options. In support of the Complete Streets program, he said, “Design truly influences human interaction and behavior.”

The board will convene a Master Plan Implementation Committee to direct the next phase of the plan. In addition to members of town boards, they will be looking for the involvement of town residents.

The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for December 18 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Planning Board

By Sarah French Storer

Kicking off the long-ish list of wetlands violations in town up for discussion, the Marion Conservation Commission on November 29 voted in favor of issuing an Enforcement Order to Ann Severance of 20 Front Street after the commission members during a recent site visit noted “numerous egregious wetland violations,” as commission member Shaun Walsh stated.

Walsh ran down the history of the property, which began with a Notice of Intent (NOI) filed by the property owner back in 2001. After numerous public hearings, the NOI received an Order of Conditions (OOC) in 2002 from the commission, which abutters ultimately appealed to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP then issued a superseding Order of Conditions in the summer of 2003, which abutters again appealed but then withdrew.

Walsh also pointed out that the NOI covered not only 20 Front Street but also three other lots as well, with most of that NOI having to do with establishing a walking path to an existing tennis court.

Walsh said the OOC “required some pretty extensive wetlands replication [and] restoration management work,” with some minor alterations of wetlands at the site associated with the establishment of the walking path.

Walsh recommended issuing an Enforcement Order, of which he presented a draft to the commission.

The Enforcement Order addresses a list of conditions that were violated that resulted in unpermitted activities, and Severance is ordered to hire a wetlands scientist and file a Restoration Plan with the commission no later than December 27. Re-vegetation is ordered to begin no earlier than April 15, 2018, after the frost, and be completed no later than June 1, 2018.

“This is not appealable to the DEP,” added Walsh. “They’d have to appeal it to the Superior Court.”

Another possible wetlands violation was reported on what was initially described as some tree clearing off Jenney Lane at The Cove, next to the turtle garden (habitat restoration) that the Town allowed on Town-owned land at the site.

The landscaper hired to cut back the open meadow there, however, allegedly over-cut grassy areas and brush where the permit did not allow clearing.

“My opinion is there is nothing we can do about this at this point,” said commission member Jeffrey Doubrava.

The Cove’s permit is up for renewal in 2018. This cutting is something that should be considered, said Doubrava.

Walsh said the area to be cut is clearly marked, so whoever hires the landscaper and oversees the activity is responsible for communicating where cutting is allowed.

“This has always been an issue as to where they cut and where they don’t,” said ConCom Chairman Cynthia Callow. “They always do not do it correctly, but I don’t know if it is their fault.”

Continuing with possible wetlands violations, the commission turned its attention to the very end of Converse Point where wetlands may (or may not) have been filled.

Callow said, not knowing whether the ‘fill’ was caused by “human hands or nature’s hands,” according to a prior OOC issued, erosion control measures should be present, which are not.

“It looks disturbed,” said Doubrava, “I don’t know if it’s been filled.” He mentioned there was a post on Facebook about the matter, alleging that someone had been “filling in skating pond.”

The commission already issued a letter and scheduled a site visit for early next month.

Rounding out the violation list, someone has been allegedly dumping cobblestone to shore up a seawall at 98 Moorings Road. The commission is investigating the allegation.

Also during the meeting, the commission heard from two applicants – Dale Jones and Tad Magauran – for one associate conservation commission position. Saying that they liked both applicants and that both were suitable, the commission members decided to submit a letter to the Board of Selectmen making no recommendation of either applicant, leaving it entirely up to the selectmen.

“I personally cannot pick right now,” said Callow. “I think you’re both wonderful.”

Under discussion, Tabor Academy reports a number of sinkholes by a seawall at the campus. The commission advised that Tabor solicit the expertise of an engineer and that any work to occur in that area would require a filing with the commission.

In other matters, the commission granted a Positive Determination for Stephen and Jane McCarthy’s Determination of Applicability for 43 Dexter Road. The public hearing had been continued from November 8. The Positive Determination means a Notice of Intent would be required before any future work could be done.

The public hearing for a RDA for Great Hill for vista pruning was again continued until December 13.

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for December 13 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Jean Perry

It was a short meeting, but an important one nonetheless, for the Rochester Board of Selectmen on December 4.

The selectmen held an early meeting before the annual holiday tree lighting ceremony to sign a Revenue Anticipation Note (RAN) in anticipation of some short-term borrowing to tide the Town over until tax bills go out and taxes ultimately collected.

This year was the year the Town re-evaluated property assessments, so holding a tax classification hearing has been somewhat delayed. And according to Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar, the new tax rate must be certified before tax bills can be issued.

Szyndlar stated that tax bills should be mailed out to residences and businesses closer to the end of December.

Chairman Brad Morse and Selectman Greenwood Hartley both approved the RAN, but in the absence of Selectman Naida Parker, who is also the town clerk, the RAN could not be signed. Szyndlar said the RAN must be signed by the selectmen in the presence of the town clerk.

In other business, Szyndlar said budget season has officially begun, and she has sent out letters to department heads regarding fiscal year 2019.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for December 11 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry