This wasn’t a dog’s day of summer type of evening for the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission. With numerous items on the night’s agenda and a full house of residents waiting to be heard, the commission got down to business.

First up was Natalie Richard of 4 Sagamore Rd., who sought approval to construct a building addition to an existing residence. This small addition would allow Richard to have a washing machine for the first time ever, now that her home is connected to the public sewer systems. Richard received approval to move forward.

The Town of Mattapoisett had several road repaving projects; Jowick Street, Linhares Avenue, Church Street, and Pepper Bush Lane. All projects were granted approval with considerations put in place for wetland protection as needed in those areas, which fall under the purview of the commission.

The Jowick Street project consists of 200 feet of repair and repaving, including the removal of a vegetated island in the middle of the cul-da-sac, which restricts snow plows.

Another road project is Linhares Avenue, which includes 600 feet of total repair and repaving. And finally, the largest of the road projects consists of Church Street from North Street to Route 6 and all of Pepper Bush Lane. Wetland considerations will be made. Barry Denham, who was present throughout the evening, said, ”These streets have not been repaved since 1979-80.” Denham added that residents will be pleased with the finished results versus the deteriorated conditions of the roads presently.

A number of residents had come out to hear about the extent of the road work that the town is proposing, after living through various other projects which required the roads to be torn up, they expressed some concern. In the end all seemed satisfied that the work was needed and the end result an improvement.

Next Mary Flaherty, 4 Woodland Ave., represented by Bob Field of Field Engineering, with a notice of intent to construct a single family dwelling, slab on grade, with associated driveway, utilities and landscaping within FEMA flood Zone AE. This parcel is a grandfathered lot and falling under earlier setback requirements, which several abutters expressed surprise over. They also questioned how this new structure would ultimately impact storm water run-off. Field will return with updated plans as requested by the commission that will show some minor compromises to help minimize the impact on the neighbors. It was also learned during discussion with the abutters that the lot is presently not served by a public water supply. Discussion is continued until Aug. 26.

June Smith and Kenneth Shwartz of 49 Mattapoisett Neck Rd., came before the commission with a notice of intent proposing to install deck footings within the footprint of an existing deck to be renovated. Bob Field represented applicants and said there will be siltation control and other wetland protecting materials such as hay bales. The applicant received permission to continue.

Next came Jon Ruel, 1 Atkinson Way, with a request for determination of applicability to repave an existing driveway and repair an old drain pipe. Denham said, “Dr. Ruel has contacted me many times, I’ve told him he needs an engineer to find out about the drainage as it now exists and how its going to impact town storm drainage.”

This private roadway and surrounding lots apparently have drainage but no one presently knew exactly where those pipes are located or how they drain into the public system. Acting Chairman Bob Rogers said, “I’d like to get it documented – before we do anything. The application requires a notice of intent not determination of applicability due to the severity of the drainage problems.”

He advised the contractor working for Ruel to “come back with a plan that shows the driveway.” Once the commission receives assurance that the repaving project will stay within the present design and that the drainage will not be disturbed at this point in time the applicant was assured he could move forward. This item is also continued to Aug. 26.

David Nicolosi, 5 Perkins Ln., off Fairhaven Road continued notice of intent to cross a wetland and intermittent stream crossing, road construction and four point source discharges. Nicolosi has been in contact with the various wildlife heritage groups and management programs due to issue of Box Turtle habitat disturbance from his proposed housing development project. Nicolosi has several options, which he can exercise to stay within the state’s guidelines of habitat preservation. He can pay hefty fees per acre to simply move forward without regard for the animal, or he can swap 2 for 1 acres of land at another location. He wanted the commission to know what he had learned through his research, he was not prepared to make a decision, although he was leaning toward the land swap plan as the most tenable plan.

By Marilou Newell

A three-hour Special Meeting on a proposed solar bylaw was held by the Marion Planning Board on Monday evening. Four members of the Marion Energy Management Committee attended, with much back and forth on issues around screening ground-mounted solar systems and the allowable size of a ground mounted or roof system.

Bill Saltonstall, a member of the Energy Management Committee was the only individual who actually has a solar installation at his home, and his knowledge helped the Planning Board and those in attendance understand some of the complex mathematics around the size and energy generation of a solar installation.

The two committees are trying to hammer out the wording of the proposed bylaw, which they hope to bring to a vote at the fall Town Meeting on Monday, Oct. 28.

In discussion, the Planning Board focused on the visual impact upon abutters, while the Energy Committee is focused on the need for alternative energy for the future. That dichotomy appeared to be the root difference between the two committees in the discussion at the meeting.

John Rockwell reminded everyone in attendance that the reason the town is even considering a bylaw is because of our country’s massive use of foreign oil and the impact of global warming on the planet. “We had a war in Kuwait, the Bouchard oil spill in Buzzards Bay, we made part of the Middle East very rich and we are dealing with a prediction that 20 percent of the earth’s species will become extinct due to global warming,” Rockwell said. “We need solar energy everywhere.”

Some progress was made as the two committees, with public input, worked out the details, but the six-page document, presented by the Planning Board, required more discussion.

One of the issues discussed was a ground mounted solar installation in the front yard of a Marion resident. The proposed bylaw, as presented by the Planning Board, did not allow it. But, after hearing from various members of the Energy Management Committee, Planning Board member Steve Gonsalves remarked that “we are cutting off a percentage of the Marion population that may have a front yard exposure to the sun and we should not deny them the right to install a system, as long as it is screened from the public … this is a democracy.”

After much informative discussion the Planning Board and members of the Marion Energy Committee reached an accord on many issues and those will be incorporated into the proposed bylaw. Future meetings will be held, with the public invited, to determine how Marion will address a solar bylaw. Both the Marion Planning Board and the Marion Energy Committee are seeking public input on this issue.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

A mixup in the 2013-14 Blue Book provided to Rochester town residents has led to several calls intended for the Animal Control Office to end up at a residence instead.

Representatives of the League of Women Voters, who put the Blue Book together, were on hand at the meeting, and apologized for the mistake. Officials noted that the number should be 508-763-5112.

Fire Chief Scott Weigel was also on hand at the meeting to discuss several financial issues that the department faces in the future, though members of the Finance Committee who were expected to be on hand at the meeting were not present.

According to Weigel and Town Administrator Richard LaCamera, the current generator at the department is “out of commission,” and that it would take about $3,500 to repair the 25-year-old generator. Weigel requested $14,900 for a new generator.

“This is an absolute necessity,” said LaCamera. “We have to have this. I apologize to you Scott for [the Finance Committee] not having been here.”

The Board made a decision to requests the Finance Committee’s attendance at the next Selectmen’s meeting later this month.

Weigel also said that their current ladder truck is “failing quickly,” and that they’ve recently looked at ladder truck from Boston to replace it at a cost of around $75,000.

“Our older unit is a 1972, and the estimated repair is about $35,000, said Weigel. “I wanted to make [the Finance Committee] aware of what we have and what we’re looking into. It’s just a much safer truck than what we’re working with now.”

He added that the Boston Fire Department was holding the truck for them until they could make a decision on the potential purchase.

By Nick Walecka