Age-Restricted Project Continued Again

on

The first order of business undertaken by the Rochester Conservation Commission during its September 18 meeting was to continue the Notice of Intent filing for a proposed age-restricted subdivision planned for the property adjacent to Plumb Corner. The hearing was continued to October 2, but not before Chairman Michael Conway expressed his frustration.

“Can we get that person in here so I can look him face to face and ask why so many continuances?” Conway asked of Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon.

Farinon defended the applicant saying, “As we know, there have been issues with drainage.” She explained that drainage from the Plumb Corner commercial strip mall had to be addressed before the project could move along. She also explained, “As you know, there is an outstanding order of conditions on the property for the removal of old soils.” Farinon said these two issues were impediments for the developer, REpurpose Properties. She said she would bring the commission up to speed later in the evening.

As promised, Farinon presented an invoice to the commission for site and document reviews completed by their peer review consultants Nover Armstrong of Carver in the amount of $4,000 for the planned 22-duplex residential project. She assured Conway that, although there had been a number of continuances granted, forward movement on the application had been taking place behind the scenes. She said she was confident things were moving in the right direction.

Also requesting and receiving a continuation was Steve Long of Borrego Solar Systems for a proposed solar array planned for 75 Vaughan Hill Road.

Jeffrey Cordeiro, Jr., 296 Walnut Plain Road, came before the commission with a Request for Determination of Applicability for the construction of a gravel driveway and parking area. After explaining his sensitivity towards environmental issues and wetlands regulations due to his career as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers, a position he still holds today, he said that dead trees and trash left behind by the previous owners would be removed. Cordeiro also explained that the driveway and parking area within the 100-foot buffer zone would have a minimum amount of loam scraped away and reused around the property. Cordeiro received a Negative determination with standard conditions.

Farinon gave her quarterly financial report that noted the Notice of Intent Fund stood at $31,000 – funds she said could be used for any activities associated with enforcing the Wetlands Protection Act. The stipend provided in the town budget was $2,014. She qualified her figures by saying that salaries were not part of her report.

Farinon also reminded the commission and the public that the Green Communities Public Forum is scheduled for September 27 with presentations taking place at 3:00 pm and again later that evening at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Council on Aging. She urged the public to attend and learn how the program will help to identify ways to conserve energy in new construction and in some commercial structures. She said that adoption of the new building “Stretch Code” was an integral part of the program and would be on the Fall Special Town Meeting warrant.

Special Town Meeting is scheduled for November 19.

Conway asked Farinon how it was going on securing applicants for vacancies on the commission. Farinon said the vacancies had been posted, but the search continues. Anyone interest in learning more about the Conservation Commission vacancies may contact Farinon at 508-763-5421 or visit www.rochestermaconservation.com.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for October 2 at 7:00 pm in the Rochester Town Hall meeting room.

 

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

Town Drafts Medical Cannabis Bylaw

on

With the weeks seeming to fly by, the Mattapoisett Planning Board reviewed a bylaw draft that would regulate medical cannabis sales in the town. Such a bylaw would have to be accepted at the Fall Special Town Meeting scheduled for November 26. Further, any bylaw passed at Town Meeting must then be sent to the Attorney General’s office before the December 31 deadline for such proposed new bylaws.

On September 17, Planning Board member Janice Robbins reported to the board what the subcommittee – specifically selected to write such language – had drafted.

Robbins said fellow committee members – Police Chief Mary Lyons, Fire Chief Andrew Murray, Robert Field, Sandra Dawson, Don Bamberger, members of the public health department, and Planning Board Administrator Mary Crain – used language composed by the town’s legal counsel, KP Law, which has also been suggested to other cities and towns preparing similar documents.

Robbins said the subcommittee members were in agreement that the only location in Mattapoisett that would be appropriate for a medical marijuana dispensary is the industrial business park located off North Street. She said the one “glitch” in selecting this location was the state requirement that such facilities be placed at least 500 feet from any location where children might be present, including private residences, parks, schools, churches, etc.

Robbins said that with Phase II of the bike phase scheduled for construction through the industrial park area, the subcommittee members weren’t sure if this business location would be deemed appropriate. She also said the group considered future residential construction in the Bay Club and other buildable sites along the future recreational path, and whether those have to be put into the equation.

In the end, Robbins said the subcommittee members agreed that the bike path should not be a hindrance if a medical cannabis facility was ever proposed in the industrial park and that any undeveloped residential sites also would not be taken into consideration.

The Planning Board members discussed various aspects of a site plan they might be asked to consider in the future, noting their involvement would be just for the site plan itself and not any special permits or Board of Health permits.

Robbins said one thing she thought might be necessary is a surety from any future medical cannabis facility owner. She said that in the event the business became defunct, the Town shouldn’t bear the burden of cleaning up the site. The Planning Board members agreed they could add that as a condition along with local inspections.

The board members moved to send the draft bylaw along to the Board of Selectmen.

In other business, site plan review of Chase Canopy’s application to build an 8,000 square-foot commercial building off Fairhaven Road was continued. Representing the applicant, engineer Robert Field asked if the board would send a letter to the Zoning Board of Appeals indicating that the plan, as submitted, would essentially be accepted once the project has been cleared with the Massachusetts Wildlife Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, and that a peer review consultant would review the project.

Also continued were subdivision project hearings for Dennis Arsenault for property located at the end of Snow Fields Road, and from Scott Snow for property located at 8-8R Prospect Road.

A hearing for a Form A Approval Not Required filed by Benjamin Hansbury and Deborah Forter for property located at 237 and 239 North Street was approved.

Also coming before the Planning Board on this evening was Tree Warden Roland Cote who sought and received permission to remove one maple tree located at the corner of Pearl and Church Street, another maple tree located at the corner of North and Church Street, and some 21 mixed varieties along a stretch of Acushnet Road that will allow for the renovation and installation of a new culvert and bridge.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for October 4 in the Town Hall conference room at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

 

The Wanderer: A Short History of the Last Whaling Bark

on

Imagine, if you will, Mattapoisett’s Shipyard Park full of raw white gleaming wooden planks and timbers. Can you hear the cacophony from men and tools being plied in the making of wooden ships? Imagine standing on Water Street looking out towards the harbor and there before you, towering some thirty feet up are the massive ribs of a vessel that would one day sail around Cape Horn heading to the Pacific Ocean hunting whales.

The air would be thickly scented by freshly-cut logs being shaped into various jigsaw-like parts for the boats, as specialized craftsmen pounded long brass spikes into locally sourced pine planks, while others carefully chinked oakum and cotton caulking into the seams. The very air would be alive with the industry of boat building as you stood looking up and up at the soaring structures before you.

On September 16 Seth Mendell described all of this and so much more as he gave a talk on the last whaling ship to be built and launched from a Mattapoisett boatyard – the bark Wanderer.

Mendell said the ship’s construction began in 1877 and it was eased into Mattapoisett Harbor a year later with tugs maneuvering it towards Gifford and Cummings, the owners, in New Bedford where the sails would be installed.

Live oak trunks were shipped north from southern states to Mattapoisett where they would be turned into keels. Mendell talked about the need for these long perfect trees whose branches were shed giving the trees’ cell structure a seamless quality.

Where the gazebo sits today, the keel of the Wanderer rested some 120 feet long. Mendell explained that, as whales in the Atlantic were fished out, sailors, nay hunters, had to travel farther away, requiring ships that could withstand the rigors of open ocean navigation.

The ribs of the vessel were built on the ground and then hoisted into place using teams of oxen pulling block and tackles until high above the workmen rose the skeleton of the vessel. Mendell said that the bow piece had to be solidly constructed to take the waves head on or handle the ice in the colder waters of the Artic.

As if seeing the magnificent bark as it was being constructed before his eyes, Mendell said you could tell when you were near a shipyard by the ringing of the caulking irons. Calling whaleboats “factory ships,” he said the three-masted ships, called barks, carried about 30 men and were between 130 and 150 feet in length.

“The Wanderer had a figurehead,” Mendell said, “… a six-foot tall gilded eagle carved by Henry Purrington.” He said that figurehead is now on display at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Mendell said, “It was April 16, 1878, a flood tide in the harbor as the Wanderer slid into the ocean.” He asked the audience to join him in imagining a cheering crowd that would have gathered there, one that most likely arrived in Mattapoisett via train, as the Wanderer began its journey, its destiny.

The captain of that first voyage was Captain Heyer whose pregnant wife traveled with him. This bit of sailing history reminds us that women didn’t always stay home walking the widow’s walk waiting for their loved one’s return. Mrs. Heyer, however, had to be taken off the ship and transported to the island of St. Helena due to medical complications. Captain Leighton replaced Captain Heyer as he stayed on shore with his ailing bride. Captain and Mrs. Heyer paid the ultimate price. She passed away in childbirth. The captain returned to port with his infant daughter in arms.

After decades of service to its various owners and captains, the Wanderer was grounded off Cuttyhunk in August 1924.

Holding a place of pride in the Mattapoisett Museum is one of the masts from the Wanderer. Hanging high overhead in the Carriage House, the mast reminds us that Mattapoisett was once a critical center for shipbuilding, a place known around the world for craftsmanship.

Following Mendell’s talk, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the newly created Mendell Gallery in the museum’s cozy room near the Carriage House. Jennifer McIntire, the chairman of the board of directors, announced that the museum would now be known as the Mattapoisett Museum, which the directors believe will be a more welcoming and concise name for the structure, the collections, and the services provided therein.

To learn about upcoming events at the Mattapoisett Museum you may visit www.mattapoisetthistoricalsociety.org.

By Marilou Newell

 

Mushroom Walk at SLT’s White Eagle Property

on

Curious about what a turkey tail mushroom looks like? Join the Sippican Lands Trust (SLT) and The Boston Mycological Club on Sunday, September 30at 10:30 am to learn more about the turkey tail mushroom and other mushrooms inhabiting Sippican Lands Trust’s White Eagle property in Marion.

Ken Fienberg and other guest experts from The Boston Mycological Club, the oldest amateur mycological club in the United States, will guide participants on an exploration of mushrooms living in our local forests. In case you were wondering, the word mycology means the study of fungi. Early fall is the perfect time of year to come on a mushroom walk and learn more about these spectacular fungi.

The White Eagle property supports a rich diversity of habitats including upland pine, mixed hardwood forests, shrub and wooded swamp, freshwater marsh and cranberry bogs. The White Eagle property and surrounding land make up a 482-acre contiguous parcel of land that is home to several rare and threatened species including the Eastern Box Turtle, the Spotted Turtle, and the Water-willow Stem Borer.

Sippican Lands Trust’s White Eagle property is located off of Route 6 in Marion. Take Parlowtown Road across from the town cemetery and follow road until you reach the cul-de-sac. Bear left onto the dirt road and follow past the abandoned cranberry bog on your right. Parking is available directly past the bog. The kiosk is a short walk beyond.

The walk is free and will start at the White Eagle kiosk and run approximately 90 minutes. Registration is required for this walk. Please call the Sippican Lands Trust at 508-748-3080 or send an email to info@sippicanlandstrust.org to register for this walk. Please bring water and dress appropriately for the day’s weather as only the worst weather will cancel an SLT walk. If the walk is canceled, then information will be posted to SLT’s website and Facebook page. For additional information visit www.sippicanlandstrust.org or call Sippican Lands Trust at 508-748-3080.

The Halloween Cover Contest

on

Are you ready for some spooktacular fun? Dust off the cobwebs and sharpen those scary pencils! Your best Halloween artwork could be on the cover of The Wandererand you could win a cash prize! Submit your best original Halloween drawing, photo, compilation, or artwork to enter for publication on our November 1 cover.

Deadline for submitting artwork is Friday, October 19 at noon. Online voting will take place from October 21 to October 29. The cover winner will win $100 and his or her artwork will be on the November 1 cover of The Wanderer! All entries must be original; cover entries must contain completely original artwork and/or photos. No copied items, including traced clip art, will be considered for the contest. All entries must be accompanied by a completed and signed entry form, available in our office or on our website. A full list of rules and regulations can be found at www.wanderer.com. For more information, call our office at 508-758-9055.

This year we will also be accepting scary stories from the public, which we may possibly publish in The Wanderer. If we publish your submitted story, you will receive a great Wanderer T-shirt and coffee mug for your talent. We will accept literary works from now until noon on October 23. Email literary submissions to news@wanderer.com!

Town Considers Curbside Textile Recycling

on

The Rochester Board of Selectmen likes the sound of a possible savings in trash and recycling costs by adding a curbside service that will collect old, used textiles right alongside residents’ recycling bins.

Stephen Lisauskas of WasteZero, a waste reduction company, told the Rochester Board of Selectmen on September 17 that clothing, shoes, and other cloth items like old drapes, bedspreads, and towels make up about 10 percent of the solid waste stream in southeastern Massachusetts, as opposed to 6 percent statewide. It is also one of the top 5 contaminants in single-stream recycling, “which creates all sorts of problems curbside,” said Lisauskas. According to Lisauskas, about 95 percent of textiles thrown away are recyclable.

Those old sweaters and jeans that are not fit for donation or resale, Lisauskas said, “we don’t need to destroy them.” There are companies that will recycle the material.

These textile recycling companies take used clothes and cloth and find the best use for them, whether they are sent directly to used clothing retailers or salvaged by grinding the material up for manufacturing carpet padding and sound insulation among other things.

The process is simple, said Lisauskas. WasteZero will provide each residence with two pink plastic bags to fill with unwanted textiles. Those bags can be left out on the curb beside the blue recycle bins, and a WasteZero van would follow the same municipal curbside trash/recycling route on the regular pickup day. WasteZero will retrieve the two bags and leave two more in its place tied to the handle of the recycle bin so they don’t blow away.

The cost to the Town: $0.

Furthermore, WasteZero will reimburse the Town $20 per ton of textiles collected.

WasteZero would handle the public outreach by mailing out informational postcards to residents as well as the pink bags. Lisauskas said anyone could call WasteZero for any number of additional bags at anytime and they will deliver them.

“And if they don’t want to do it, they don’t have to, but it’s an option for folks,” said Lisauskas.

“It sounds too simple,” said Selectmen Chairman Greenwood “Woody” Hartley.

“How do we sign up?” Selectman Brad Morse quickly added.

Lisauskas said once the board approved the service, a contract could be signed and the service would likely begin within six to eight weeks.

“As simple as that,” said Hartley.

The selectmen asked the town administrator to contact neighboring Middleboro, the first town in the southeastern part of the state to employ the service, for feedback before agreeing to sign on, and town counsel would then review the contract.

In other business, the board appointed Police Officer Nathan Valente to the rank of sergeant.

Valente has been an officer with Rochester since February 2014, and took the sergeant exam this past February, scoring well, said Police Chief Robert Small. Valente has also completed field training officer school, is now certified as a field training officer, and has already trained several new officers this year.

“It’s always great to have the opportunity to promote and to promote from within,” said Hartley.

The selectmen also voted to pass on exercising its right of first refusal for property located at 0 Mary’s Pond Road, the site of the old Boy Scouts camp. The Conservation Commission on September 4 voted to recommend that the board exercise its right of first refusal and consider purchasing the land, while the Planning Board recommended the board not exercise its right of first refusal.

“Right now we just don’t have the funds,” Hartley said.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for October 1 at 6:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

 

Big Play Catapults Old Colony Football Ahead

on

Old Colony football improved to 2-0 on the season after its Saturday 21-14 win over Keefe Tech.

The Cougars controlled the tempo of the contest at Oliveira Field, rushing for 342 yards on 40 rushing attempts throughout the contest. But in the end, it was one play that set the two teams apart.

Old Colony led 14-7 with seven minutes left in the contest. Instead of punting with the ball on their own 25-yard line, the Cougars elected to run on fourth-and-2. Quarterback Kyle Scholzfed the ball to running back Mitchell Wilsonand he went off to the races, scoring on a 75-yard touchdown.

“I knew we’d get the first down: I knew we’d get the yards,” Wilson said. “Because we always run that play great, our guys are always good at blocking for it. I saw the opening, but I’m kind of used to plowing through for five yards. But I saw it off to the sideline, I’m pretty sure it was Kyle (Scholz) who kicked the guy back in and I just shot up.”

Old Colony coach Brandon Mendez made the call with full confidence in his running back and offensive line, though he did not expect the result he witnessed.

“I believe in the kids,” Mendez said. “I called [Scholz] over and told him, ‘You need to get on them and tell them this is the play.’ I believe in them and they believe in themselves.

“Once we got the first down my thought was ‘cover the ball up’ and all of a sudden it popped,” Mendez continued. “I knew [Wilson] would run hard; we had kids chasing downfield trying to block. They made good blocks, tried to keep it in front and be smart football players. The play call itself was belief in the kids and their ability, and then the rest just took over.”

Wilson would finish with 126 yards and a touchdown on only eight rushing attempts. Matt Bumpusalso scored a touchdown and ran for 101 yards on 15 attempts. Scholz was the first Cougar to rush for a touchdown in the win, gathering 69 yards on 10 attempts. Rounding things out was Phil Proctor, who had 46 yards on seven attempts.

“I have complete faith in all four of them,” Mendez said. “And it starts up front. Those kids block hard and block well. I don’t have a problem putting the ball in any one of [our running backs’] hands. You go with what’s working. We take what the defense is giving us and go from there.”

The Cougars start Mayflower Athletic Conference Small Vocational Division play on Saturday at 1:00 pm when they host Cape Cod Tech.

Old Colony (3-1, 0-1 Mayflower Small Vocational) volleyball rallied past Diman’s opening set win in Monday’s match to win 3-1. Kat Kirbyhad eight kills and six aces for the Cougars. Hannah L’Heureuxfinished with three kills and two blocks in Old Colony’s win.

Old Rochester Regional

Never mind not losing a game, Old Rochester Regional football has yet to allow another team to score through the first two weeks of play, shutting out Apponequet 39-0 in their Friday night matchup. The Bulldogs have now outscored their opponents 81-0.

Will Garciaonce again led ORR in rushing, scurrying for 138 yards on 15 attempts, while scoring once. Anthony Childs(70 yards on one carry),Jackson Cote(66 yards on 10 carries), and Desmond Dias(54 yards on six carries) each scored once, as well.

But it was quarterback Cole McIntyreand wide receiver Tyler Noewho were responsible for the most points on the day, connecting twice through the air for touchdowns. McIntyre finished with 93 yards on 3-4 passing. All three of McIntyre’s completions were to Noe. Old Rochester (2-0) visits GNB Voc-Tech on Friday at 7:00 pm.

ORR (5-1, 4-0 South Coast Conference) girls soccer remains undefeated in the South Coast Conference play after winning Monday’s 4-1 matchup against Apponequet. Meg Hugheshad another big game for the Bulldogs, scoring three goals and assisting ORR’s fourth.

“I think Meg has a really good I.Q. of how the game is played,” ORR coach Jeff Lombard said. “She’s got a really great touch with the ball and her speed with the ball is almost as fast as others without the other ball. Right now she’s a major part of what we’re trying to do.”

Jillian Kutashscored the Bulldogs’ fourth goal and also assisted one of Hughes’ goals. Mary Butlerand Kate Beaulieueach assisted a Hughes’ goal, as well.

High School Sports

By Nick Friar

 

Protect Yourself from Medicare Fraud

on

New Medicare cards are coming with new random numbers. Did you know that $60 to $90 billion of our tax dollars are lost to Medicare fraud each year?

On Tuesday, October 16, meet Tom Clarke, a representative of the Massachusetts Senior Medicare Patrol (MA SMP) Program at Mattapoisett Senior Center, 17 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett and participate in a discussion on how to prevent, detect, and report healthcare errors, fraud, and abuse. We all can have an active role in protecting Medicare for ourselves and future generations.

This free information workshop will provide you with the tools to become a more informed and engaged health care consumer including information about the upcoming distribution of new Medicare cards with random numbers rather than Social Security numbers. Lunch will be provided.

For more information and to reserve your seat, please contact the Mattapoisett Senior Center at 508-758-4110 or at coadirector@mattapoisett.net.

If you cannot attend this workshop but have questions about your healthcare bills, Medicare Summary Notices, or other health insurance explanation of benefits statements, please call the MA SMP Program office at 800-892-0890.

This event is jointly sponsored by the Mattapoisett Council on Aging and the Massachusetts Senior Medicare Patrol Program. The Massachusetts Senior Medicare Patrol Program is funded in part by grant number 90-MP 0226-03-01 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living, Washington, DC 20201.

Marion General Store to be Preserved by SHS

on

The Sippican Historical Society, a small group of supporters, and the Cheney family, owners of the General Store, have forged a unique partnership.

The Sippican Historical Society and supporters are providing funding to restore the exterior of the building and to renovate the building’s structural support and electrical system. The restoration project will be managed by members of the Sippican Historical Society’s General Store Committee: Jack Cheney, Whitney Cheney Wynne, Amy Cheney Spirito, Frank McNamee, Judy Rosbe, Charlie Larkin, David Croll, and Hans Ziegler.

A Historic Preservation Restriction will be placed in the deed to protect the exterior of the building. There will be a right of first refusal granted to the Sippican Historical Society if the General Store is ever sold. These restrictions will ensure the exterior of the building will always remain the same. This agreement will ensure that this significant historical building will be preserved in perpetuity.

The General Store was originally built in 1794 as a Congregational Meeting House. It subsequently became the Village focus for spiritual, commercial, and social life in Marion.

The Cheney family has owned and operated the General Store since 1974, and it continues to be an important gathering spot and the center of the Village.

Some past properties that have been preserved by the Society include the Marion Post Office, the Captain Hadley House, Browne’s Pharmacy (which is now Kate’s), the Doctor Ellis house (now the historical society), and the bandstand. The Sippican Historical Society continues its campaign to protect and preserve important historic buildings in Marion.

Cannabis Bylaw Advances to Town Meeting

on

One resident attended the Marion Planning Board’s public hearing on September 17 on the proposed bylaw for adult recreational use of cannabis in Marion. The bylaw was easily recommended to Fall Town Meeting by the board.

The purpose of the proposed bylaw, which has been extensively discussed by the Planning Board over the past few months, is to provide a framework for regulating adult use cannabis establishments within the Limited Industrial Zoning District. The bylaw puts forth definitions, general requirements, and the conditions for a Special Permit. The bylaws are consistent with the laws and regulations developed by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, specifically 935 CMR 500.00.

Planning Board member Chris Collings brought attention to the ability of the Town to collect fees from applicants under this bylaw. Town Administrator Paul Dawson was consulted in drafting the language so that it was suitably vague to allow the Town to assess any fees allowed by law. Collings was satisfied, stating, “My goal was that there was an avenue and not to be pinned down … by specificity.”

Resident Henry Mauro of 19 Ichabod Lane suggested the Town consider charging a fee up front during the process rather than collecting an annual fee. Mauro cited the Towns of Tewksbury and Salem, which have assessed a $25,000 fee over four years, and other towns that have charged up to $100,000.

Board member Andrew Daniel remarked that, with the wording in the bylaw, “If it’s legal, we can do it.”

Chairman Will Saltonstall mentioned that the Board of Selectmen would be charged with determining and imposing the fees. The board moved to place the proposed bylaw on the warrant at Fall Town meeting.

In other business, town resident Sherman Briggs and developer Bill Curley met with the board to further discuss the proposed Inclusionary Housing development on Briggs’ Spring Street property. At issue this evening were the setbacks required by current zoning.

Saltonstall had spoken previously with town counsel who determined that the Planning Board cannot issue a special permit regarding dimensional requirements, further stating that setbacks are the purview of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Saltonstall suggested that the board has leeway with performance standards with construction and timing of the completion of the market units versus the LIP (Local Initiative Program) affordable housing units.

The board felt comfortable being flexible with the schedule of completion and occupancy of the units, with Vice Chairman Steve Kokkins standing firm in the idea that it was only the ZBA that could provide relief on setbacks.

Kokkins observed that the board needed to start with the original bylaw guidelines, recognizing the intent to keep a ratio of LIP units to market units and underscoring the importance of seeing that “the spirit [of the bylaw] is followed”.

Board member Eileen Marum, speaking in support of being flexible, reminded the board that “Mr. Briggs is doing something … on behalf of the town and providing affordable housing.”

After a lengthy discussion, Briggs spoke with some frustration that he had given his word to Town Meeting, adding “If I can’t build 27 units within 10′-15′ of the lot line instead of 20′, I could do 42 units, 12 per acre.” He mentioned that he thought the Planning Board should get town counsel to support the ZBA’s decision if they were to approve reduced setbacks for the project.

Town Planner Gil Hilario’s conversation with Town Counsel Barbara Carboni, in which she suggested there be a simultaneous application process, was the catalyst for a discussion of a possible joint meeting of the two boards.

Collings expressed support for initiating a more efficient process and providing evidence for the hardship required for a special permit to be issued for the project by the ZBA. Collings observed that the project was in line with the objectives of the Master Plan, saying, “We are going to need a way to do this. Co-joined meetings [to address] overlapping and conflicting ideas for the town versus the [town] bylaws.”

Saltonstall requested that Briggs and Curley draft a letter explaining their hardship, which, he said, would help with his conversation with the chair of the ZBA.

In other matters, the board approved a letter drafted by Saltonstall to Building Commissioner Scott Shippey regarding the request by Dwight Crosby of Tri-Town Motors at 149 Wareham Street to add towing to his existing business. The board agreed that the towing was an accessory use to the existing permitted use.

The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, October 1 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Town House.

Marion Planning Board

By Sarah French Storer