The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning for the Tri-town area as a large storm front is expected to move through overnight and into Wednesday. Winds of 30 to 40 mph are expected with gusts up to 60 mph. Trees and power lines may be damaged and power outages my occur. The public is asked to secure lighter objects stored outdoors in preparation for the storm. Heavy rain is also expected with the storm, which may cause localized flooding. The good news for Thanksgiving is that the weather forecast is for mostly clear with highs in the mid thirties.

Rochester Police were called to the scene of a serious head on crash on New Bedford Road in the area of Cushman Road at 6:50pm. Responding officers found two heavily damaged vehicles in the roadway.

The operator of one vehicle was ejected and suffered serious injuries requiring him to be flown by helicopter to Rhode Island Hospital Trauma Center. The operator of the second vehicle was also seriously hurt and was transported by ambulance to the same trauma center. Information on the victims is not being released at this time.

New Bedford Road was closed for approximately 2 hours while emergency crews worked at the scene. Rochester Police Sergeant Robert Small and Officer Robert Nordahl are investigating the cause of the crash.

Voters packed the Rochester Memorial School on Monday night to decide the fate of 12 articles, but a majority of those voters – a vast majority, in fact – made it clear that they were in attendance mainly to stop the Community Preservation Act from making it to the spring election ballot.

They succeeded.

Article 11– which would have enabled the Rochester electorate to vote on a state law allowing communities to establish a local fund and receive partial matching money to support affordable housing, parks and recreation (including athletic fields), open spaces, and historic resources – was soundly defeated by majority vote. A veritable parade of residents – from a 24-year-old new landowner to Planning Board Chairman Arnie Johnson – marched to the microphone to blast the CPA, with every exhortation to avoid the 1.5% property tax surcharge receiving applause.

Residents wanted no part of the program, which the Conservation Commission had advocated for during the past few months, responding to comments from opponents that it would serve special interests and hit taxpayers hard.

Elsewhere on the warrant, voters also rejected Article 3, which would have amended the Flood Plain District zoning bylaws. This decision could jeopardize FEMA flood relief in the event of a disaster, according to Rochester officials, but residents who spoke in opposition said they believed it represented overreaching regulation that could impact property values.

All other articles presented at Rochester Fall Town Meeting passed with little debate (save for Article 12, which would have created a Community Preservation Committee but was rendered unnecessary in the wake of 11’s defeat). They included:

Article 1, Supplemental Appropriations;

Article 2, Used Ladder Truck, which appropriated $75,000 for a Fire Department upgrade;

Article 4, which defines “Roadside Stand” and “Farm Stand”;

Article 5, which will regulate the dimensions of accessory structures for homeowners;

Article 6, which defines and provides zoning guidelines for medical marijuana treatment centers;

Article 7, which addresses site plan review applications and fees;

Article 8, which amends the site plan review bylaw;

Article 9, which will increase the Marriage Intention fee from $5 to $20; and

Article 10, which amends the Council on Aging bylaws.

To read the full warrant, see http://www.wanderer.com/tritown/archive/RO20131125.pdf.

By Shawn Badgley

Once again, the members of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission met with Shepard Johnson, an attorney representing Robert Ringuette of Leisure Shores Marina.

This third meeting, which is a continuation from two previous meetings, produced little in the way of detailed information from the applicant. Instead, the board received a flow of questions, many of which Johnson had asked at previous appointments. Failing to provide the board with a report from the engineer who had some delineation services for the applicant disappointed members, as did the failure of Johnson to secure an answer from the applicant as to whether he would be amenable to paying up to $5,000 to cover the costs of outside peer review.

There was nearly two hours of discourse between Johnson and the commission members, primarily Chairman Peter Newton and member Bob Rogers. Johnson said that the board was to have provided a scope of work for the applicant. That was submitted to counsel and reviewed. However, in spite of repeatedly being asked about activities taking place at the marina, what the scheduled plans are for the degrading Styrofoam floats, and the potential filling in of wetlands areas, Johnson didn’t answer. Instead he returned to whether or not the board might be overreaching and mentioning again a three-year statue of limitations.

Citing the lack of what he perceived as less than full disclosure due to missing documents, Johnson said it was hard to know what the board wanted or what permits were currently in force. Rogers said that the applicant should have a full set of documents and permits, and that all previous conditions are filed with the Plymouth County Registry, therefore available to Ringuette.

“If you are relying solely on the town [records],” it would be a very tedious and slow process, Rogers said. “Our decision is that we want remediation; your position is you want to carry on business as usual … there are certain prohibitions.”

A permit issued in 1991 appears to confirm limitation of activities, yet an abutter had submitted photographs in 2004 that seemed to show heavy equipment moving soils and filling in wetland areas. Noting possible wetland act violations, Newton said, “it’s the rationale for us asking for outside peer review.” The commission wants to establish historic wetland delineations to either confirm or refute illegal filling.

One major issue that has plagued the residents in the area of the marina for some years has been the continuing deterioration of Styrofoam floats. Johnson said that the applicant has been reviewing economic solutions but hasn’t yet determined the best course of action.

Horace Field, newly retired harbormaster, has attended each of the hearings bringing evidence of the poor condition of the floats. He said, “If anyone wants to see pollution I’ll walk you down to the marsh. That stuff is bleeding off all of the time.” Newton said it was much more than the large pieces, but all the individual pellets that foul the waters and marsh. “The fish and birds eat that stuff,” he added.

Newton said that he needed an answer from Ringuette regarding engaging peer review as noted in General Law 53G.

Johnson said he needed to review all of the files. The hearing is continued until December 23.

Also on the agenda was Carol Mallegni regarding property located at the corner of Nashawena and Shawmut Roads for the construction of a single-family dwelling. Represented by Dave Davignon, Schneider & Associates, the commission received detailed information of the plans and wetlands along the site. One abutter, Robert Rousseau, came forward concerned about losing a water view that his family has enjoyed for five generations and the possible loss of well water levels. The applicant and the abutter were given time to discuss the plans, after which Davignon asked that the commission vote to approve the plans contingent upon conditions and possible plan modifications. A purchase and sale agreement is pending. The commission concurred and approved the application.

The last hearing of the night was tabled pending possible plan modifications and completion of soil stabilization. Frank Linhares, 16 Holly Hollow Ln., was requesting a certificate of compliance. Noting that is wasn’t of a pressing nature and that he may install a patio area, the request was tabled to a later date.

The Conservation Commission meets again on December 9 at 6:30 pm.

By Marilou Newell

Rochester’s search for a new Town Planner is under way, three months after John Charbonneau left to take a position with Raynham.

The search committee will include Planning Board Chairman Arnie Johnson and member Ben Bailey, in addition to Town Administrator Richard LaCamera and Selectman Bradford Morse.

“We’ll meet the week after next to whittle down the candidates,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we’ll start the new year off with a planner.”

Like Charbonneau, who split his time in Rochester with similar duties in Wareham, the next Rochester planner will be part-time.

In other news at last week’s Planning Board meeting, Johnson announced that member Mike Murphy had resigned from both that body and the Rochester Zoning Bylaw Subcommittee.

“I’m sorry he’s gone, because he was a real asset to the board,” Planning Board member Susan Teal said. “He was a walking encyclopedia.”

Elsewhere on the agenda, the Planning Board continued once again the public hearing for the proposed Covanta Energy CNG Fueling Station, this time until December 10.

In addition, the Planning Board scheduled a December 5 site visit to the Little Quittacas Solar Project at 33 North Ave. to inspect the constructed berm and storm-water drainage basins. Currently, Rochester holds a $495,000 bond to ensure specifications are met. Johnson said that the berm and basins are at or near completion, as well as in compliance, but there are areas where grass has not sprouted. The plan, Johnson said, is to release upward of $490,000 of the bond back to Little Quittacas, holding on to about $5,000 the Planning Board can do a final check on the premises.

By Shawn Badgley