Brandt Point Village Déjà Vu

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The Mattapoisett Town Hall conference room was once again filled with people whose vested interests in the successful completion of Brandt Point Village seemed the key point.

On December 5 by invitation, the Planning Board met yet again with developer Armand Cotellesso, Marc Marcus of Omega Financial, Attorney John McGreen, Mattapoisett Highway Surveyor Barry Denham, Mattapoisett’s designated oversight engineer Ken Motta of Field Engineering, and Al Loomis of McKenzie Engineering, who has worked on the project for several years through several owners. Several residents from Phase 1 of the project were also seated.

Town Counsel Jonathan Silverstein was present to help navigate this latest attempt on the part of the Planning Board to achieve firm timelines from the developers for completion of specific aspects of Phase 1.

The objective was clear: get things done on Phase 1 or establish firm deadlines on previously promised line items, and in exchange, receive building permits for speculative build-outs in Phase 2.

Along with Chairman Tom Tucker, the full Planning Board was in attendance that included Karen Field, Nathan Ketchel, Janice Robbins, and Gail Carlson, who is also a resident of the sub-division and an outspoken advocate for the residents of Phase 1.

Before the discussion got underway, Tucker reminded Carlson that she could not vote on any matter regarding the sub-division but was welcome to speak as a private citizen.

Silverstein detailed specific incomplete items on Phase 1 as: 1) septic testing; 2) roadway repairs; 3) guardrails; 4) positioning and installation of mail kiosk; 5) installation of lights; 6) storm water catch basin covers; and 7) landscaping of common areas.

Cotellesso said, “Every time we fix something, we find other problems,” indicating why previous promises to complete some items had not been done during the summer months.

Asked by Tucker when things would get done, McGreen testily replied, “We set the timeframe in the tri-party agreement. We are here as a courtesy to you.”

McGreen pointed out the financial assurances Cotellesso and Marcus put in place.

“You had no teeth,” said McGreen. “We put up $1.5 million. We put our money where our mouth is. We have a timeframe of August 2018!”

Tucker was looking for more immediate results.

For an hour, the parties hammered out when the punch-list of to-dos would be completed. Most items received a June 1 deadline.

Tucker agreed that if the developer completes all items by the deadlines, then the Planning Board would advise the building department so that occupancy permits could be issued on any homes sold in Phase 2.

In the meantime, Tucker said a letter would be drafted to the building department so that building permits for structures in Phase 2 could be issued.

Later in the evening, Robbins asked about the tri-party agreement, saying it is normally an arrangement between the lender, a bank, and the developer; however, in this case it appeared that the developer and the lender were one and the same.

“This company could go out of business tomorrow,” said Robbins.

She asked Tucker, “You don’t require a bank?” Tucker said no and deferred to the fact that town counsel had reviewed the contract.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for December 19 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell

 

Academic Achievement

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The following local students graduated from Roger Williams University in spring 2016:

– Ryan McArdle of Marion earned a B.S. degree in Finance

– Scott McDavid of Marion earned a B.A. degree in International Relations

Maureen Mills: Tomlinson Visiting Fellow in Ceramics

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Noted art potter and educator Maureen Mills will be Tabor Academy’s 2016 Visiting Fellow in Ceramics. Ms. Mills has been an active studio potter in New England since the 1980s, and she has taught ceramics at the New Hampshire Institute of Art since 2001. Ms. Mills will be conducting practical demonstrations in the ceramic studio during her three-day visit from December 12-14. Through workshops, students will be introduced to her skillful work with the potter’s wheel as she produces large vases, covered jars and teapots. Ms. Mills will also share the ideas and techniques that inform the dynamic surface decoration found on her wood-fired pottery. Her surface treatments interplay bold geometric shapes by contrasting colored glazes with the raw clay surfaces, which are often inlaid with a cryptic, calligraphic script detailed in a lustrous black.

On Tuesday evening, December 13, the public is invited to her image-illustrated artist talk in the ceramic studio beginning at 6:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Storyteller Maggi Peirce at the Mattapoisett Library

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Celebrate the holidays with award-winning storyteller Maggi Peirce on Sunday, December 11 at 2:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library. The public is invited to the Reading Room by the fireplace to hear stories of Christmas and Irish folktales.

Maggi Peirce is the author of three collections of stories and a memoir, A Belfast Girl, published in 2013, which this year won The Storytelling World Award. She has published articles on Irish folklore, and her poetry has also been published, some in the first volume of Spinner.

Maggi has performed as a folksinger and storyteller at the Smithsonian, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, on Prairie Home Companion, and the Newport Folk Festival, among other venues. She won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Storytelling Network.

Many folk music fans will remember Maggi Peirce from the Tryworks Coffee House in New Bedford. She served as director of Tryworks from 1967-1987. She lives in Fairhaven with her husband Ken.

The library welcomes all for this festive occasion. Copies of A Belfast Girl will be available for purchase and signing. Light refreshments will be served. The library is located at 7 Barstow Street in Mattapoisett Village.

To make a reservation, please call the library at 507-758-4171.

Thoughts on Holiday Greetings

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In the spirit of the holiday season when friends and relatives share greetings, I thought it fitting to share an experience of mine that happened some years ago.

The card arrived just about this time every year. It was always a traditional card with holly or poinsettias. It always contained a nicely written note, usually reminiscing about good times long past.

It came by airmail. Par Avion it said on the envelope. This particular year, the stamp cost 37 cents and it was marked “Post Early.” It came from a relation in a town called Hucclecote, Gloucester.

I’d come to expect the friendly greeting, especially the little comments about simpler times back in England. The writer’s name was Jack.

This year would be different, though. I expected it may be the last time we heard from Jack because this year I’d have to write back, something I’ve always meant to do but just couldn’t.

I wrote… “Dear Jack, I regret to inform you that your cousin Derek no longer lives at this address … and hasn’t for nearly two decades.” I told Jack that his cousin sold his house to us over 18 Christmases ago and moved away. I told him that, unfortunately, I’d never actually met Derek because he had already moved and his lawyer (solicitor, I wrote) handled the sale.

I didn’t tell him that I thought old Derek was not the “lovely lost cousin” he thinks he is. That Derek is probably not lost, but is hiding. Why else would he not have written to tell his dear, devoted cousin that he had moved so long ago?

I told Jack that I think his cousin lived in California but that I didn’t know where. I said that Derek’s grown son did stop by once, a year or two before while on a business trip east. He said his folks were well.

I apologized for reading his notes every year. That I was looking for a return address but he never gave one before. I was sure to mention how much I enjoyed his little stories about him and Derek when they were kids, and how he thought Derek’s wife Dorothy was so beautiful in her high school picture. And I said that he didn’t need to send the copy he promised.

I told him I’m sorry I called him “Jack” but that he never signed his full name before. And, besides, I felt as though we were old friends. I assured him that 67 was not old and that he was not going to “kick the bucket” soon. I wished him good luck in his search for his “cousin in America.”

I told him I would miss him … and his cards, too. And, I wished him a Merry Christmas.

I did hear back from Jack. He sent a letter apologizing for “bothering” me all those years but said I’d remain on his Christmas card list. I never heard from him again.

By Dick Morgado

 

Wetlands Flagging for Bike Path

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The Marion Conservation Commission began reviewing the wetlands flagging along the proposed Marion bike path route, and on November 30, Chairman of the Marion Pathway Committee John Rockwell went before the ConCom to discuss the commission’s findings on a recent site walk.

The site walk is being broken up into sections for a thorough examination of the long stretch of pathway that runs from the Mattapoisett town line to where Brew Fish is located, crossing Route 105 following the old trolley line into Washburn Park, and then running parallel to Interstate 195 to Point Road.

Rockwell said that he and fellow pathway committee member Jeff Oakes conducted most of the wetlands flagging over the summer.

Conservation Commission member Cynthia Callow said she walked “half of a half” on that previous Saturday and found some of the flags missing and asked if those flags would be placed before construction was started.

“They will be located as part of the construction project,” said Rockwell, assuring Callow that her concern over construction workers knowing the precise locations of wetlands was accounted for.

“We only had a chance to look at part of the process,” said commission member Norm Hills, “and there’s still more to do. Obviously,” he continued, “we’re going to have to continue this and now we’re into hunting season…. The only time you can safely go out there … would be on a Sunday some time before the [winter] weather….”

ConCom member Joel Hartley addressed the part that runs from the Mattapoisett town down the old railroad bed.

“I’ve run that before,” said Hartley, emphasizing a good look is required at the site. “There are a lot of wet areas, almost like a stream down there.”

Callow suggested a plan to divide the sections amongst the commission members over the course of several site walks. Rockwell commented that the walk could easily take up to two hours at least. He added that design work is well underway, although the project is still significantly behind schedule due to surveying taking longer than anticipated.

Construction on the bike path will not begin until at least the summer of 2018, according to Rockwell.

After a couple of concerns from abutters, including Joe Zora who is currently in dispute with the Town over land at Parlowtown Road he claims rightfully belongs to his family, the commission deemed the matters beyond the scope of the commission’s jurisdiction.

“This will just approve the wetlands line,” said commission member Shaun Walsh. “It doesn’t approve any of the work by the applicant for this project.”

The public hearing was continued until on December 14 at 7:00 pm, the next scheduled meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission, located at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

 

SRPEDD Recommends County Road Reclassification

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Town representatives from Marion, Rochester, and Wareham – the three towns traversed by County Road – met with representatives from the Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District on November 30 to discuss reclassifying the 5.5-mile stretch of County Road between Routes 28 and 105 as an “Urban Collector,” which is an upgrade from an “Urban Local” road.

SRPEDD, at the request of the three towns, collected traffic volume and vehicle speed data, along with origin-destination, vehicle classification, and land use information to determine the eligibility of County Road reclassification, and they identified County Road as feasible for Urban Collector status.

Urban Collector roads are eligible for federal funding for street upgrades, something all three towns and residents agree County Road needs.

Although Marion and Wareham were eager to apply with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to start the process, Rochester representatives weren’t as enthused once they heard more about what sorts of costs the town would be responsible for in the event of a County Road project.

Roads classified as Urban Collectors by the Federal Highway Administration qualify for special funding for road upgrades; however, there are specific federal guidelines and design criteria for the width of the roads to accommodate for all traffic, including bicycle and pedestrian. Some costs are covered by the towns themselves, including design, right of way matters, and permitting.

Rochester Highway Surveyor Jeff Eldridge and Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar both wore concerned expressions on their faces.

“So these are big costs,” said Szyndlar.

Eldridge pointed out that, with federal standards for widening of roads to almost double what County Road is now in some spots, some houses located five to ten feet from the road would result in costly land acquisitions.

“I’m not a lawyer, but I think you’re looking at some serious land taking,” Eldridge said. “If somebody says no, then you have to go to court and take it through court.”

SRPEDD Transportation Planning Manager Paul Mission urged the three towns to further consider the petition for the road reclassification, saying, “I think County Road has a good shot. It’s really just changing the status of the road. Changing the physical condition of the road would be the next project.”

Mission suggested that he could meet with the individual boards of selectmen should they prefer a more formal presentation, including more detail on one option Mission suggested the towns could propose to MassDOT and the FHA to increase the odds of reclassification.

Since the FHA prefers to maintain a steady percentage of roads classified at Urban Collectors, Mission suggested offering to trade-off on current Urban Collector Roads in order to acquire the 5.5 miles of County Road.

Wareham and Marion are the only two towns with Urban Collectors, which includes Front Street and Spring Street in Marion.

Presently, the percentage of Urban Collectors in the region is 9.3 percent. Adding County Road would increase it .2 percent to bring the percentage up to 9.5.

“In the grand scheme of things, it is relatively insignificant,” said Mission. “The role of the road and the increase in traffic certainly justify a serious consideration for change.”

If Marion did not foresee applying for federal funds for any future projects on either Spring or Front Streets, Mission said a trade-off, if necessary, could include those two streets.

“At some point in time, something’s going to have to be done with that road, like it or not,” said Marion Selectman Stephen Cushing.

Mission requested that once towns make up their minds to move forward that they draft a letter of support from the board of selectmen.

Before adjourning at the Wareham Town Hall, Szyndlar told Mission she might take him up on that offer to present to the Rochester Board of Selectmen when she approaches it on the County Road matter.

By Jean Perry

 

Pacheco Announces District Office Hours

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Senate President Pro Tempore Marc R. Pacheco (D-Taunton) will hold office hours for his constituents every Friday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the district office located at 8 Trescott Street, Suite 1, Taunton. Meetings will also be held at the Marion Town Hall, 2 Spring Street on Wednesday, December 21 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

District Director Louis Loura will be available during district office hours and monthly meetings. Sen. Pacheco will be available, schedule permitting. If constituents are unable to make any of the above times, they are welcome to make an appointment. Contact Sen. Pacheco’s office at 617-722-1551, visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SenatorMarcPacheco, or follow him on Twitter (@MarcRPacheco).

Marion Art Center Holiday Events

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On Saturday, December 10 between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, the public is cordially invited to the Marion Art Center to enjoy several special artist events and browse its Holiday Shop. The Shop features 30 artisan vendors whose unique and limited edition creations fill both upstairs and downstairs galleries. A trio of area artists will be on hand to share their talents and works throughout the day.

Starting at 11:00 am, Timothy Wade, local sand and ice sculptor and painter, will give an ice carving demonstration on the patio outside the Art Center. From 10:00 am to noon, Wendy Todd Bidstrup will be in the MAC theater, signing copies of her book, Cecil Clark Davis – Self Portrait Biography, a first-person narrative of Marion’s renowned Golden Age artist. Visitors are invited to meet Mrs. Bidstrup, learn more about her book, and enjoy the permanent collection of portraits painted by Cecil Clark Davis that line the theater walls. From 12:00 until 2:00 pm, Neponset Valley Artists founder and esteemed pastel/oil painter Kim Morin Weineck will demonstrate her creative process with a live painting demonstration.

Holiday Greens Boutique

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Did you know that you can purchase fresh greens, centerpieces, ornaments, wreaths, and garlands, handmade by local artisans and decorated with natural elements, at the Marion Music Hall next Saturday?

For a few short hours on the morning of Saturday, December 10, the doors to the Music Hall will open between 9:00 and 11:00 for the “Early Bird” Holiday Greens Boutique.

Created by Marion gardeners, the boutique is a great place to shop for holiday home decor. Centerpieces, ornaments, garlands, wreaths, and swags fashioned from native greens, shells, berries, and pinecones make popular hostess gifts and stocking stuffers.

The Marion Garden Group, which sponsors the event, turned 60 this year. Since its founding in the mid-50s, the group comprised primarily of local gardeners has made it their mission to meet on a monthly basis from September to June. They conduct workshops, invite guest speakers, take field trips, and participate in service projects that contribute to the beautification of the village. This year, the group purchased a Best Bees bee hive that is managed by volunteer members, and the club harvested its first batch of honey this fall. “The group is increasingly cognizant of the effect of certain pesticides and invasive plant species on our habitat,” says past president, Kristy Marshall who spearheaded the project. “We hope to continue to move in ways that support nationwide efforts to grow more native materials and to reclaim pollinator corridors to support the bees and butterflies on whom we are so dependent.”

Today, over 50 active members and 25 affiliates volunteer their time to plant and water the village window boxes and decorative planters. They conduct monthly flower arranging activities for residents at Sippican Health Care Center in Marion and Tremont Health Care Center in Wareham. They decorate wreaths for village businesses and create the holiday arrangements, ornaments, and decorative gifts that will fill the Music Hall Greens Boutique on December 10.

“Membership is made up of a variety of talented people as well as people who want to learn,” says Cassy West, the club’s current president. “We have seasoned volunteers working alongside new members; we have artists, master gardeners, bee lovers, young moms and recent retirees.”

With all the work that the club accomplishes, it’s important to have a cross-section of volunteers with different skills and interests, West says, “but a key element of participation is the opportunity to build lasting friendships and contribute to the beauty and welfare of our town.”

Recent collaborations with Sippican School and the Sippican Lands Trust have yielded big rewards for local residents. Elementary school students now have a solar-powered greenhouse on the grounds of the school made possible in part by a $2,000 matched grant from the Marion Garden Group. The 8-foot by 12-foot greenhouse extends the growing season for the school’s popular Garden Club and makes it possible for teachers to integrate lessons in science with the authentic learning that comes via hands-on experience.

Partnering with the Sippican Lands Trust, the Marion Garden Group has also helped provide not only the funds but the labor to establish mass roadside plantings at Lands Trust properties, including daffodils at Brainard Marsh and at the entrance to Pierson Woods on Point Road.

The group has supported the town’s tree committee and has helped with the planting of Bicentennial Park. “We have also donated to state and national causes related to gardening,” says former president Kitsie Howard.

The Garden Group relies primarily on dues from its members and income from the sale of wreaths and arrangements at the Marion Music Hall during the holiday house tour to finance the greening of the window boxes and planters in and around the village. Donations to help fund beautification projects are always appreciated. Send inquiries to phyllis.partridge@gmail.com.