It was the most difficult letter he has ever had to read, Rochester Police Chief Paul Magee told the Rochester Board of Selectmen on September 18, just before he formally announced his intent to retire from the department effective September 14, 2018 – a date Magee said he had decided on years ago.

Magee has served as a police officer for 30 years in several area towns, and 14 as Rochester’s chief.

“It has been a tremendous honor and the highlight of my career to serve in this capacity,” said Magee, who stated he wanted to give the Town ample time to find a replacement. “I know the final year will go by quickly, and I look forward to assisting with the selection process in any way that I can.

“Again, it has been an honor to serve you, this Town, and its residents,” said Magee. “I truly thank those who had faith in me back in 2003 when I was selected for this position.”

Magee shook hands with two selectmen and then approached Selectman Naida Parker who insisted on a hug. “You are one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life,” she told him.

Later, the selectmen met with the Rochester Finance Committee to vote on their recommendations of the articles featured on the 2017 Fall Special Town Meeting scheduled for October 23 at 7:00 pm at RMS.

Included was Article 6, the citizens’ petition to amend the solar bylaw to prohibit the installation of solar photovoltaic ground-mounted panels “within 1,000 feet of any commonwealth- or town-designated scenic road unless existing topographic features of the landscape preclude observation of the solar arrays from the scenic road,” as the article reads.

Over 100 residents’ signatures were collected in order to bring the article forward, which the Town is obligated to add to the warrant.

The Board of Selectmen voted to send the proposed bylaw amendment back to the Planning Board to hold the public hearing on the proposed bylaw change, as per Massachusetts General Law.

Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson, present for the meeting, said any changes after that public hearing would have to be made on Town Meeting floor. Johnson said that public hearing should be held on October 10 if all paperwork for the article is submitted in time to allow for a two-week public notice in the newspaper.

In other business, the board appointed Police Chief Magee’s recommended candidate for reserve officer, Leonard Mota. With a dwindling reserve, Magee said the extra help was needed. Mota served in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years and retired from the New Bedford Police Department earlier this year after 30 years on the force.

The board approved a fundraiser event for the Rochester Country Fair Committee to be held at the Pine Street fairgrounds. Benefitting the RCF, the event will feature a tractor show, tractor pull, and truck show. Which weekend in October has yet to be decided.

The board accepted the $35,000 Buzzards Bay Municipal Mini-Grant as recommended by Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon and the Rochester Conservation Commission. The funds will be used toward the Rochester Land Trust’s acquisition of the “Estabrook Property” off Walnut Plain Road. The over 70 acres of land that fall within a recognized Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program zone will be preserved from development in perpetuity.

Under selectmen’s signature, the board received four letters of interest from residents willing to serve on the newest committee to be formed in town: the Pine Street Property Usage Committee.

“I’m thrilled we got four people who want to do it,” said Selectman Greenwood Hartley, who later stated what he prefers the committee tackle: (1) a set of rules that specify that the Country Fair uses the property for its three-day event in August, in addition to two other one-day events during the year; and (2) which, when, and how other Town entities can utilize the grounds for fundraising efforts that benefit the town.

Ultimately, the board approved Kelly Morgado as the representative from the Rochester Country Fair Committee, Jeremy Peck for resident (non-RCFC), Selectman Morse, and Suzanne Szyndlar, town administrator.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen will be on October 2 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall. The selectmen will sign the warrant for the special town meeting at that time.

By Jean Perry

On September 19, the Rochester Conservation Commission met with Peter Newton of Bristol Engineering Advisors regarding the monitoring of water levels at Snows Pond.

Newton’s services were part of an agreement reached with Decas Cranberry Company after concerns were raised over dewatering activities associated with the construction of a tailwater recovery pond. Residents and the Conservation Commission became increasingly alarmed that those activities were actually drawing down the water table associated with the pond.

Newton had placed a monitoring device in the pond. However, that device subsequently went missing and has never been found. He was back to address any lingering questions the commissioners had regarding ongoing study and his conclusions.

“The pond seems to have rebounded fairly well,” Newton said. He added that data initially gathered from the device and use of other monitoring services in the region seemed to suggest that a great deal of surface water in the area was “holding up the numbers.” But he also said that in spite of it being difficult to quantify the magnitude of the dewatering activities, he could say it “had depressed the pond’s level from a few inches to a half foot.”

The commission voted to extend monitoring activities through the winter and to ask Decas Cranberry Company to replace the monitoring device so that historical data collection could resume.

Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon said that if the device stayed in beyond this specific project, the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District might include the site in their data collection work.

The commission also discussed adopting Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44 Section 53G, a law that would give them the power to request outside peer review consultants. Farinon said that although their current wetlands regulations allow peer review fees to be paid for by applicants, the scope was rather narrow and specific. With the adoption of the MGL, their latitude in requesting such assistance from applicants would be greater.

Farinon also said that the commission could adopt the legislation without going before Town Meeting. This was confirmed with Town Counsel Blair Bailey, she said.

The vote was unanimous to adopt the law.

A request for a Certificate of Compliance by Daniel and Deborah Carr Clark for property located at 258 Mary’s Pond Road was tabled. Commissioner Daniel Gagne and Chairman Michael Conway felt that changes to the plan of record warranted an appearance before the commission explaining those deviations.

One other matter handled by the commission was a Notice of Intent filing. Rick Charon of Charon & Associates represented John Gurney for property located at 2 New Bedford Road. The NOI filing had been continued from September 5, at which time the commissioners wanted a letter from an abutter stipulating they had no problem with a remediation area near their property line. Gurney plans to sub-divide the parcel to create an uplands lot, to build a roadway to the lot and to construct a single-family home. The project was approved and conditioned.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for October 3 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell

Superintendent Doug White told the Old Rochester Regional School Committee on September 13 that the school district did things a little bit differently for teachers and staff on opening day this year.

Aside from meeting in the auditorium instead of the cafeteria, White unveiled the school district’s new initiative: branding ORR.

Each staff member was given a T-shirt with the logo of their respective school featured on the front and the hashtag #WEareOR on the back – We are Old Rochester.

All staff members from all schools also signed a large red and white banner with the school district’s new hashtag #WEareOR, which will travel around the three towns to all the schools for display.

White said the message to staff was this: What does it mean to be Old Rochester?

“I really challenged the staff to really think about what that means,” said White. He asked, what is it to brand our selves? With words, designs, logos, slogans – being consistent, keeping the messaged focused, maintaining a presence, and building those logos.

Speaking of logos, ORR High School Principal Mike Devoll said that ORR would be unveiling its new bulldog logo during Homecoming, so stay tuned…

White said the branding of Old Rochester is a tool to engage the community and tell the story of Old Rochester, by Old Rochester.

“We need to get our story out there, because if we don’t tell our story, someone will tell it for us,” White said. “We need a way to engage our stakeholders in a two-way communication over and above what we’ve currently been doing … and make sure that everybody in our community knows the efforts in our schools and that they support our efforts….”

“We want to ensure that our voices are the ones telling our story. We can’t let anyone else tell our story for us,” said White.

The next meeting of the Old Rochester regional School Committee is scheduled for October 25 at 6:30 pm in the ORRJHS media room.

Old Rochester Regional School Committee

By Jean Perry

Once again, the Mattapoisett Town Hall conference room was packed with abutters waiting to hear and see the plan modifications for a two-lot subdivision at the end of Snow Fields Road. But on September 18 what they got instead was a completely new roadway plan, one that would take the most contentious part of the project out of the purview of the Planning Board.

Sitting in as chairman for the evening was Nathan Ketchell flanked by Planning Board members Karen Field, Janice Robbins, and Gail Carlson. Also at the table was Mary Crain, town planner and board administrator.

David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates, Inc. came forward representing Dennis Arsenault, rolling out copies of a new conceptual design for the entrance way into the uplands situated some 1,100 feet deep into property surrounded by a state-recognized swamp at the end of Snow Fields Road.

Davignon told the board that the proposed project had had one public hearing thus far with the Conservation Commission, saying that process was far from over. Then he directed everyone’s attention to the new concept.

The planned extension of Snow Fields Road into Arsenault’s property would now be a private common driveway with frontage at the west end created by the construction of a large public cul-de-sac. The cul-de-sac would function as a public way, allowing emergency vehicles to turn around as needed and provide frontage, but the house lots themselves would be at the end of a long private driveway, taking it out of Planning Board oversight. Now only the cul-de-sac would be required to receive regulatory oversight by the board.

Davignon said Arsenault had met privately with the Fire Department and that their preliminary review of the new plan had been favorably received. Pointing to the driveway on the drawing Davignon said, “Everything becomes a common driveway … a common driveway doesn’t need Planning Board approval…. This eliminates some of the waivers asked for…. It also changes the width…”

Of the new design, Davignon said, “I request you take this under advisement. We still have to finish with ConCom,” and asked for the board’s reactions.

Ketchell instead opened the hearing up to public comment first.

Abutters asked about stormwater runoff from the proposed long private driveway but were reminded that those issues were under the jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission. They also questioned the viability of a hammerhead at the east end of the driveway serving the two uplands lots. That configuration seemed acceptable.

Also in attendance was Highway Superintendent Barry Denham.

Denham said that although the new design seemed to “side-step” the need for a roadway through the swampy expanse and although the fire department had warmed to this new conceptual design, it was still questionable how emergency vehicles would access the lots if needed. He said that during emergency situations, his department was charged with ensuring that downed trees or snow did not impede access to people needing services.

In response, Davignon asserted, “There is nothing in your bylaws that says they can’t have a long driveway…. No bylaw in place.” He added, “Other towns do, you do not … the bylaws are what we are held to.”

Robbins said she needed time to study the new design, while Crain asked Arsenault if the fire department had any further comment on accessing the lots. Arsenault said they had not.

Denham said private water wells planned to serve the two-lot subdivision would have to be drilled and water tested before building permits would be issued.

The board asked for written comments from various Town departments and boards.

The hearing was continued until October 2.

Earlier in the evening, the board reviewed plans submitted by Carol Lawrence for property owned by Gingras Trust located off Randall Road.

Represented by Al Ewing of Ewing Engineering, the plans call for the construction of a roadway into the 15-acre parcel, creating a new lot and thus providing necessary frontage for the planned two-lot subdivision.

Ewing then read from a four-page report that listed multiple waivers for the Planning Board’s consideration.

There ensued an hour-long discussion on the merits of the roadway as designed, eliciting a number of questions and concerns from the board members.

Of primary concern to Robbins was the width of the proposed new street. Ewing’s design called for it to be only 16 feet wide, one of the waivers requested, with a hammerhead turnaround at the end for emergency vehicles.

Ewing said that most of the waivers took into consideration the fact that the road would be serving only one house lot. But Robbins countered that while that might be the case now, in the future, given the size of the property, further subdivision might be pursued making the road layout inadequate. “What if someone wants to put in 40B housing?” she wondered and noted the size of the parcel, “Other things could be developed.”

Denham had sat in on an informal preliminary meeting to review this project and offered the board members his insights. “In the past, the Planning Board has allowed a road for one house lot.” He pointed to Whitetail Run also off Randall Road. He said that, at that time, the board had allowed a single lot roadway but that any future development off the road would require the applicant to improve it to meet current regulations. “It’s possible in your decision on this one that any further building brings it back to the Planning Board.”

The hearing was continued until October 2.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for October 2 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell