The Mattappoisett Zoning Board of Appeals extended their thanks Thursday night to Building Commissioner administrative assistant Maria Cananzey, who is retiring from her position after 23 years.

“It was one of the best decisions I made, hiring this individual over 20 years ago,” said Code Enforcement Officer Andrew Bobola.  “She’s always gone above and beyond what is needed in this department.  She’s handled herself professionally for 23 years.  She’s been a very good friend and she’ll be sorely missed.”

Following her official retirement at the end of the month Cananzey will be moving permanently to Florida.

“I’ll miss everyone.  You’ve been so great,” she said.

In other business, the ZBA held a public hearing for Matthew Michaud of 3 Driscoll Lane, who is seeking a special permit to allow the pre-existing use of a second dwelling on the property.

“There’s an existing structure over the garage and someone’s been living there since I purchased it,” said Michaud.  He has been renting out the property since he bought the home a few years ago but was unaware that there was no permit allowing for the space to be used as a dwelling.

According to Code Enforcement Officer Andrew Bobola, the history of the building showed that there had been someone living there for quite some time.  An anonymous complaint led Bobola to discover that there was a tenant in the apartment over the garage.  Bobola then brought the issue to Michaud’s attention.

Several abutters turned out in support of the petition, citing no complaints with the living situation.  The Zoning Board of Appeals then unanimously approved the special permit.

Then, the ZBA heard from Dan and Daneen Eilersten who are seeking a special permit allowing a family-related apartment at a dwelling at 20 Water Street.

“We’re in the process of renovating.  When my father retired, they sold their home, they go to Florida about three months a year,” said Mrs. Eilersten.  The apartment would be used by her parents for nine months out of the year and would allow for the family to better care for them.

ZBA member Norman Lyonnais questioned the parking situation but Bobola vouched that there was adequate off-street parking for the proposed situation.

The Board then voted in favor of the project.

The ZBA then held a hearing for Robert Townsend, regarding his application for a special permit to construct an addition and stairs to a dwelling at 11 Channel Street.  The proposed changes would not meet setback requirements.

“We want to help give them a better means of egress as well as improve the bathroom a little bit,” said engineer Christian McCullough on behalf of Townsend.  “Right now there is a little well in the back of the house so the existing house is already encroaching [on setback requirements],” he said.

“This is about forty square feet of footprint change. It’s really minimal,” said Bobola when Lyonnais asked about the percentage of change in size.  “I think it’s a nice improvement to the property.”

The ZBA saw no conflict with the project and unanimously voted in favor of the plan.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals will be on Thursday, December 20, 2012, at 6:00 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli

A lively discussion of the recent MCAS scores happened at the ORR School Committee meeting Wednesday evening.  The ORRJHS reported a total of 224 students took the tests.  The ORRHS had approximately 161 students who took the tests.

The tests included English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science and Technical Engineering.   Biology is included in the ORRHS test.  At the ORRJHS, science is not tested in grade 7.

Overall, the trend is up in reading, writing and mathematics, especially with new curriculum tools in place to help students succeed.  Science lags a bit behind at the junior high, but high scores happened at the senior high.  School officials have plans in place and are planning for future success on the MCAS.

Board members discussed the fact that the numbers are in transition due to newly purchased curriculum tools which, for example, were there for students in 8th grade, but not when those students were in 7th grade.

At the ORRJHS, in grade 7, English Language Arts, 37 students scored in the Advanced category, 156 were Proficient, 28 in Needs Improvement and 3 in Warning/Failing.

In Mathematics, 51 scored in the Advanced category, 90 were Proficient, 70 Needs Improvement and 13 were in the Warning/Failing area.

In grade 8, in English Language Arts, 37 students scored in the Advanced category, 159 were Proficient, 23 Needs Improvement and 8 in Warning/Failing.

At ORRSHS, scores in English Language Arts showed that out of 161 students who took the test, 71 were Advanced, 84 were Proficient, 5 Needed Improvement and only 1 was in the Warning/Failure category.

In Mathematics, 100 students scored as Advanced, 47 were Proficient, 9 Needed Improvement and 5 were in the Warning/Failing area.

In Science, 40 were Advanced, 47 were Proficient, 9 Needed Improvement and 5 were in the Warning/Failure area.

The committee discussed the transition between grades and the newly implemented changes in curriculum and software training for teachers in newly adapted online tools.

In other business, Superintendent Doug White, along with the committee gave Kristin Nascimento the  Superintendent’s Certificate of Academic Excellence for her academic and community service achievements.   Nascimento is ranked #2 in her class, plays the piano and violin and volunteers at Tobey Hospital.

 In addition, she has grown her hair long twice, had it cut and gave it to Locks For Love, a non profit group that assists financially disadvantaged children with hair loss from any diagnosis.

The committee accepted a $250 donation from the Mattapoisett Community Tennis Association in appreciation for the use of the ORRHS tennis courts.

Committee member Tom Shire proposed the purchase of 250 booklets, at $1 each to give to 10th graders studying the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address.  The committee embraced the idea, with a discussion of purchasing 1000 copies, which would last 5 years of 10th graders receiving the booklet.

The booklet would be presented by a teacher when the topic is covered in history class.  A fundraiser would cover the cost to purchase the booklets.

Superintendent White thanked Shire for finding a home for 250 geometry books.

In other business, facilities director Gene Jones requested a vote on the snow removal contract for the upcoming winter.  After reviewing various bids, Mr. Jones recommended going with New Beginnings, the company the school used last winter.

Jones told the board that there was a $10,000 budget for snow removal and that several bids were based on the number of inches of snow, with no cap on a blizzard type storm. The committee voted to approve the contractor Jones recommended.

ORRHS Principal Michael Devoll noted that several National Honor Society students volunteered at the voting polls in Marion on election day.

Another area that sparked much discussion is the ongoing teacher contract negotiations which are affecting sports, clubs and after school tutoring sessions.

“There are no teachers on the School Council,” said Devoll.  “We are bringing in volunteers to coach sports, help out…but things are challenging.”

 ORRJHS Principal Kevin Brogioli voiced similar concerns regarding the lack of teacher involvement in after school, club and after school enrichment participation.

The committee then went into Executive Session to discuss the ongoing negotiations.

By Joan Hartnett-Barry

 

The Mattapoisett Conservation Commission issued a Certificate of Compliance for work done at 25 Grandview Avenue, an address that has proven to be a center of contention within that neighborhood for most of the year.

While plans to build a home on the property have been held up at various town meetings due to issues between the applicants and abutters, the work that has been done at the site was in response to an old COC request.

Attorney Robert Moore was present at the meeting on behalf of many of the abutters in the neighborhood and said that he believed issuing a COC was premature because the work had not yet been completed.

He cited several items listed on the Order of Conditions, such as the installation of a drainage pipe that was never done.

“The four-inch pipe that Mr. Moore is talking about is a four-inch pipe placed on the plan as a request of [abutter] Mr. Henderson,” said engineer Dave Davignon, who represented Stephen and Leigh Oler, the applicants.  The plans he referenced were drafted in 2007.

Davignon said that Henderson had reservations about the drainage in the area and wished to see the pipe included in the plan.  Davignon said the pipe was installed but later removed.

But Moore, again, quoted the Order of Conditions directly.

“The Order says ‘add four-inch drain,’ said Moore.

Chairman Peter Newton voiced his frustration at the prolonged stop-and-go process for the project and suggested that the feuding neighbors were abusing the function of the Commission.

“I feel like we’re being used for the resolution of a neighborly dispute.  We’ve spent almost a year arguing over the subtleties and whether or not the owner said this or that,” he said.  “What we have here is a plan, certified by licensed professionals, that states that they believe the site is sufficiently in compliance.”

“We’ve heard everything many times and I’m done,” he said.

Also during the meeting, a public hearing was held for Indian Cove and Trust and Indian Cove Boatyard.  The companies have filed a Request for Determination of Applicability for their proposal to construct a driveway at 126 Aucoot Road that would serve as frontage for a subdivision as required by the Town of Marion zoning by-laws.

“What we’re proposing to do with the Aucoot Boatyard property is to subdivide it into three lots for the purpose of creating single-family homes, which are not part of this application,” said Davignon, who represented the Indian Cove group at the meeting.

“We’re proposing the extension of Aucoot Road from Mattapoisett into Marion for that frontage,” he said.  The proposed road would service only one house.

“All of the work is actually in the town of Marion, except for a 14 foot stretch of road,” Davignon said.

The Commission then granted the negative determination the group was seeking.

The Conservation Commission then had a public hearing for Steve Carvalho of 3 Winnatuxett Road, who has filed an RDA for the construction of an attached garage for the existing home.

“Basically, the owner is looking to put an addition on the south side of their building.  There’s minimal grading and we’re approximately 80 feet from the wetland with any of our work,” said Carvalho, who represented himself via his employer, Thompson Farland Engineers.

The Commission saw no conflicts with the project and issued a negative determination for the plan.

Next, the Commission held a hearing for an RDA filed by Brian and Betsy Andrade of 70 Aucoot Road.  Their property sustained damage due to Hurricane Sandy and they are proposing to repair the residential pier facility on the property.  The project would be extensive, requiring the replacement of the frame around the platform.  The application listed the use of a crane and barge to help complete the project.

“They have a pier, it’s licensed, it got damaged by Hurricane Sandy.  It tore a two-foot section off the end of the pier.  It also lifted up the end of the pier about three or four inches, so it’s off-level,” said Dave Davignon, who represented the Andrades.

Commission Chairman Peter Newton did not feel that it was completely necessary for them to file an RDA because the project falls under a government-sponsored storm damage amnesty program.

“DEP storm guidance procedure, what they’re asking for is a letter with bullets saying what the applicant is seeking to do,” said Code Enforcement Officer Andrew Bobola.

The Commission voted in favor of the project anyway, but the applicants will be in touch with DEP regarding the repairs.

The Commission then heard from William Marcropoulos of 12 Howard Beach Road, who was seeking an “after the fact” approval on a Notice of Intent regarding a self-repaired rock wall on his property that serves as wind protection for part of a garden.

Since the wall was built without proper permits and without a licensed engineer, the Commission felt that the wall was problematic.

“The question is whether or not this can be considered an engineered structure and I think it definitely is,” said Newton.

“I think our hands are tied on this one,” said Commission member Bob Rogers, who suggested the wall be removed completely.

Marcropoulos explained that he did not know he needed to file for approval beforehand and would not have done so had he known.

Newton said that there can be no guarantee the wall would survive another storm like Sandy and could cause further property damage if it was violently dismantled by weather.

“We’re pretty sure that it’s unanimous that it’s not permitable,” said Newton.

The hearing was continued because the project did not yet at a DEP file number.

Next, the Commission held a continued hearing for a Notice of Intent filed by Paul and Jayne St. Pierre of 25 Main Street.  They propose to install stone steps in association with minor grading changes to create safer access to a nearby walking and bike path.

“There was a question about landscaping and what to place here.  There was concern by the neighbors that plantings be limited in height to the shrubbery that exists in the area,” said Steve Gioiosa on behalf of the St. Pierre family.

At the October 22 meeting, the Commission expressed concern over liability and responsibility for maintenance of the area, since the project would technically take place on public land, not private property.  Gioiosa said that the applicants, with their legal counsel, drafted a letter stating that they would assume full responsibility for maintaining the area.

The Commission voted to approve the plan, with the conditions that the resource areas have not been identified and that the letter provided by the applicants be included in the record.

In other business, the Conservation Commission approved the repair of a septic system at 6 Fairhaven Road that serves a two-family home.  They also approved the enclosure of an area of property at 58 Pico Beach Road, for the purpose of creating a garage.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission will be on Monday, November 26, 2012, at 6:30 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli