Special Town Meeting Articles Approved

The Rochester Board of Selectmen reviewed and approved all five articles on the warrant for the Special Town Meeting.  The approval came during the board’s regular meeting on Monday, October 15 at Rochester Town Hall.

The first article on the warrant also boasts the biggest price tag, and encompasses a list of renovations and purchases the town needs to make for their buildings and vehicles.  The total price tag for all of the items combined in the article is $897,000.

“There are a number of capital projects and equipment that need to be addressed now,” said Town Administrator Richard La Camera.

$250,000 of the $897,000 figure will go to repairing the exterior of the Town Hall, replacing windows, shingles and siding.  Nothing on the interior of the building will be fixed.

“What we’re trying to do here is protect our investment,” said LaCamera.  “We could potentially lose this building.”

The Plumb Library and Police Station would also see repairs if the article is carried at the meeting. The library would become more handicapped accessible with a new lift for wheelchairs, and the roof on the Police Station would be replaced with better shingles.

Additionally, the Council on Aging would receive a new roof and the Fire Department would get bathroom upgrades.  As it stands now, the bathrooms in the station are approximately 4’x4′.  Both roof replacements would cost $40,000 and the repairs to the Library and the Fire Station would both cost $25,000.

A new fuel system, two highway trucks, a highway mower, fire chief vehicle and new Fire Department radios are also listed under the first article. The town proposes to refurbish two existing fire trucks instead of buying new ones.

To pay for these investments, the town will switch out old debt that is about to expire with this new debt, therefore it will not increase the town’s operating budget nor will it create an override.  However, the debt will not be swapped for three years, so the town will use some of the $727,000 worth of free cash to begin making payments.

LaCamera insisted that this is the best time to make these investments due to the low interest rates, which are currently estimated to be 3.2-3.5%.

“I think this is a good approach in the short term,” said LaCamera.  “These interest rates are almost unheard of.”

The remaining articles on the warrant will touch upon Right to Farm Bylaws, Photovoltaic Installation, Right to Farm Declaration and Dimension Regulations for residences and farms.

The fifth and final article on the warrant is for a proposed little league ballpark at the recreational grounds on Dexter Lane.  The town applied for a grant which would use money to build the park.  Any additional money needed will be funded by Rochester LIttle League and will not be funded by the town.

In other news, the Board voted to appoint Nathan Valenti as a Reserve Police Officer for the Rochester Police Department.  Valenti resides in Rochester, is a 2005 graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School.  He studied English at UMass-Dartmouth and has passed both his written and physical exams for the department.

The town also voted to sign another three-year contract for Fire Chief Scott Weigel, who is finishing his first three-year term in that role for the town.

The next scheduled regular meeting for the Rochester Board of Selectmen is Monday, November 5 at 7:00 pm in Rochester Town Hall.

By Katy Fitzpatrick 

 

North Presents Board’s Take on Solar Bylaw

The Marion Planning Board discussed the drafting of a solar bylaw, currently a joint venture by both the Planning Board and the Marion Energy Management Committee, at their regular meeting on Monday, October 15.

North spoke on behalf of the Board presenting the solar bylaw terms sheet with full support of fellow Board members, as well as addressing current areas of concern about unregulated solar development. In attendance at the meeting was Bill Saltonstall, who represented the EMC.

“Most important is that non-commercial roof-mounted solar panels be considered a home’s accessory,” North said. “That should be allowed in Marion in all zoning districts.”

North’s terms sheet states that solar panels meeting this category would require a building permit.

For larger projects, namely small-scale solar farms or pole- and ground-mounted solar panels, North recommended that the bylaw require a special permit and site plan review. Additionally, small-scale solar farms would be limited to commercial zoning.

“We ought to be looking at a restriction or prohibition on large-scale solar farms,” North said.

Chairman Jay Ryder commended North’s work on the terms sheet.

“This is a very good start and we want feedback from the Energy Management Committee on the term sheets,” Ryder said.

Saltonstall questioned the Board’s support of North’s presentation.

“It would help us to know that this committee supports the terms,” Saltonstall said. “This sounds like Ted North’s proposal. We want to be sure that this is the Planning Board’s proposal.”

Ryder responded in the affirmative.

“I might reiterate the confidence of the Planning Board in Ted North and Sherman Briggs’ abilities to handle these bylaw issues,” Ryder said.

“We’d like to get together with Ted and other representatives to get this thing through,” Saltonstall said.

In its other business, the Board voted to grant the River Road Definitive Subdivision Plan, care of Morse Engineering Company, Inc., an extension of its continued public hearing until Tuesday, November 20.

The public hearing was continued until Monday, November 5 at 7:10 pm per request by Gregory Morse.

The Board then discussed the current traffic problems at Cumberland Farms. Board members have completed a site visit and are in the process of meeting with representatives of the business.

“We’ve got 18-wheelers that are parking in the wrong spaces and are not allowing traffic to go in and out as they should,” Ryder said. “Deliveries have to park in the designated areas and there’s really only one.”

The Board is also concerned about simultaneous deliveries.

“There are multiple deliveries going on at the same time and that doesn’t work,” Ryder said. “That’s fine on the same day but not at the same time.”

In its last business, the Board consulted with Susan Nilson of CLE Engineering, who was representing Kittansett for a pre-submission conference. Nilson said that Kittansett is planning to build a pump house near its existing maintenance building and wished to have confirmation that only a minor site plan review would be required.

“We’re dealing with a minor site plan review because the pump house does not exceed 2,000 square feet,” Ryder confirmed.

The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board will be held on Monday, November 5 at 7:00 pm in the Town House.

By Anne Smith

Frontage Changed for Cell Tower Lot

There were no public hearings on the agenda for the Mattapoisett Planning Board at their regular meeting on Monday, October 15, but they did review and sign some site plan maps for the proposed cell tower to be built off Jane Lane.  The new maps serve to subdivide the area and adjust the amount of frontage required to use the lot for the tower.

 “All this does is clean up the lot’s frontage.  It does nothing else, it approves nothing else,” said Planning Board member John Mathieu.

The cell tower plan is still in the works, but the Planning Board cannot grant the required special permit because the location of the tower is outside the designated corridor next to Route 195.  Since the tower is proposed for a residential area, the decision is up to the Zoning Board of Appeals.  At the last Planning Board meeting, the engineers of the project requested an indefinite continuance, which the Board granted.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board will be on Monday, November 5, 2012, at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli

Reunion of ORRHS and Mrs. Carla Cafarella

In addition to the three new teachers gracing the Old Rochester Regional High School ranks as of this year, the school procured another about a month into the year. Due to the sudden retirement of Mrs. Johnston, one of ORR’s Spanish teachers, a seat needed filling for those Spanish classes as well as a senior homeroom. Principal Devoll excitedly announced the return of Mrs. Carla Cafarella.

With a double major Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Literature and Speech Communications Studies from University of Rhode Island and a Master’s Degree in Speech Communications Studies from Emerson College, Cafarella began teaching right out of graduate school at ORR. After three years, she decided to put her career on pause to start a family.

When her children were young, she began tutoring Spanish from her home until she began a seven-year term at the Loft Preschool in Marion. When her swift return to ORR was presented, she couldn’t help but jump back in.

“The door was opened for me, so to speak. I’ve had my eye on the possibility of coming back for years. It just happened very quickly and unexpectedly this past month. It was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss,” said Cafarella.

A longtime lover of school, Cafarella seems to feel at home in the classroom.

“There’s just something about being in the classroom that feels good to me,” she said.

She has the belief, shared with many other teachers in the school, that the role of a teacher is important because “teaching is investing.” With a strong philosophy like that and a persona that omits optimism, it is no wonder why she was chosen to return.

“I have had a very warm welcome! It’s exciting to be back … and very busy. There’s so much to do and relearn for me this year. A lot has changed since I left ORR in ’97. I’m familiarizing myself with new technology, Power School, building curriculum, learning names and a whole new routine. One of the best parts about being back is that my daughter is a student at the high school, and my son at the Junior High. I love being in the same building with them all day,” she said.

By Jessica Correia

First Seafood Fest A Grand Success

The big white tent at Shipyard Park was packed with patrons of the first Harvest Moon Seafood Festival on Sunday, October 14.  The event, held in honor of Turk’s Seafood Restaurant founder Richard “Turk” Pasquill, was a joint effort between the Town of Mattapoisett and the Mattapoisett Police Officers Association.

“He really loved this town and he’s been gone for 20 years now,” said his son, Richard Pasquill.  “He’d be honored to see how many people came together for this, from the town, to the police, the town hall, they all made this possible.”

“Chief Lyons, Officer Craig LeBlanc, and myself have been members of the Police Officers Association for over 20 years,” said Officer Mitchell Suzan.  “We wanted to get the town involved so we worked with Melody Pacheco over at the Town Hall and we got all the other businesses involved.  Everything here has been donated by local businesses.”

Suzan said that the proceeds from the event would be split between the Town of Mattapoisett and the Police Officers Association.  The Town plans to use the money to pay for new holiday lighting and the Association plans on using the money for medical devices for disabled residents.

“We’re excited about doing something this positive,” said Lyons.

The festival had a line half-way up the lawn of Shipyard Park fifteen minutes after they opened the doors.  They sold over 200 tickets in advance of the festival, but many in line were buying at the door.  At the far end of the tent, a jazz quartet led by saxophonist and Mattapoisett native Trevor Kellum, played old standards from Dave Brubek to Miles Davis.  Crews from Turk’s and Oxford Creamery were handing out samples of lobster rolls, clam chowder, grilled and fried scallops.

Among the many cooks were Building Commissioner Andy Bobola and Town Administrator Mike Gagne, who were in charge of grilling up the scallops.

“It’s been a grand success,” said Melody Pacheco, assistant to the Town Administrator and event co-organizer.  “It’s all thanks to the businesses, the Town Hall, the whole community.  Everybody here has volunteered their time.  We have a lot of support from the residents and we hope to have another festival next year.”

Botanist Leads MLT Walk

On Saturday, October 13, the Mattapoisett Land Trust held their Fall Exploration walk through the trails around Nasketucket Bay State Reservation.  This year, the hike was led by botanist and retired UMass, Dartmouth professor Jim Sears.

This was the first time the MLT invited an expert along to lead the walk.

“We had talked about the educational aspect at the board meeting,” said Ellen Flynn, chairman of the MLT Education Committee.  “We wanted to know how we could get people from out of town involved in this and to get out and enjoy the area.”

Leading walks in the field has long been part of Sears’ work as an educator.

“I used to take my students out into nature.  I like to get people to raise questions, to think about the ecosystems, plants, animals, the habitat all interact,” he said.  “Most people here probably love nature already.  Maybe they’ll introduce their children to the kinds of experiences they’ve had.”

 Sears had prepared maps and a long list of plants the group could expect to see.  Along the way, he noted different types of evergreen trees, tall grasses, and small flowers.

According to Paul “Ozzie” Osenkowski, Mattapoisett Land Trust Preservation Committee chairman, the landscape has changed dramatically over the last two centuries.

“Back in the 1800’s, a lot of this was pasture land for sheep,” Ozzie said.  These days, the area is considered to be a mixed deciduous forest, comprised of a mixture of trees that loose their leaves, like maples, and evergreen trees.

Judy Benedict of Mattapoisett joined the walk and brought two visiting family members.    “I had heard from my friend that there was going to be a walk with a botanist and I thought it sounded interesting.  It was just serendipity,” she said.

By Eric Tripoli


Eel Pond: Dry

The dredging of the east channel of Eel Pond in Mattapoisett is well underway.  The pond, which has been tide-controlled for decades, has not been completely drained in years.  What’s left behind is a basin of mud and a vast assortment of shells speckle the area.

The project has long been in the works and was briefly put on hold over the summer due to concern about the potential negative impact on eastern piping plovers, a threatened bird species that nests and breeds along the South Coast.

In case you missed it, here’s what the channel looked like on Saturday, October 13, 2012.

By Eric Tripoli


New Subdivision in Planning Stages

A new residential subdivision is in the works for Mattapoisett.  The project was presented at the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission’s regular meeting on Friday, October 12 in  Town Hall.

David Nicolosi filed a notice of intent to construct a residential subdivision called “Deer Woods” off of Fairhaven Road.  The lot would span 53.6 acres, which would be enough space to construct 8-10 new homes.

The proposed lot is home to wetlands, and a stream is located between the main road and the subdivision.  The plan would construct a 750 foot roadway that would cross the stream and connect the main road and the neighborhood.

Additionally, a drainage system would be constructed that would discharge into two infiltration basins.  Neither the drainage system nor the roadway would affect the wetlands.

Still, the commission is worried that the project is getting ahead of itself as the project managers have not yet met with the Planning Board to seek approval.

“That is my basic issue with this,” said Commissioner Bob Rogers.

Commissioner Peter Newton said an order of conditions would not be issued until a set of approved plans are sent from the Planning Board.

The project will be presented to the Planning Board the first week of November.  The commission voted for a continuance of the hearing until Monday, November 26.  But for such a large plan, there will be more hearings to come.

“You should probably expect that there will be a number of hearings on this,” said Newton.

The Mattapoisett Conservation Commission will meet again on Monday, October 22 at 7:00 pm in Town Hall.

By Katy Fitzpatrick

 

Lawrence Way Solar Array Approved

Robert Lawrence came before the ZBA on Thursday, seeking a special permit to allow him to construct a 30-panel solar array on his property at 15 Lawrence Way.

The piece of land proposed for the panels, which is less than two acres, is located on a private, unpaved roadway.  Upon Town Administrator John Charbonneau’s recommendation, Lawrence had filed for an appeal for the project to be considered to be a minor modification so as to streamline the process for approval.

“It is the only viable spot to put photovoltaics is right here on this spot,” Lawrence said.  He added that the Planning Board and Conservation Commission had supported the project.  “I’d really like the building permit to put the array in, but I need a building permit, which can only come from this board.”

Use of the private road is shared between Lawrence and a local cranberry farm, which uses the area to access its bogs.

A representative from the bog, Lynda Kiernan, was present but had no questions or concerns.

After a quick examination of the plans, the ZBA saw no issues with the project and voted unanimously in favor of the solar array.

The next meeting of the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals will be on Thursday, October 25, 2012, at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall.

By Eric Tripoli

Mattapoisett FD Holds Open House

The Mattapoisett Fire Department will be hosting an open house on Thursday, October 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. They plan to have games, pizza, prizes and of course fire engines!

Some of the activities planned include having demonstrations in the Safe House, which helps teach children what to do in case of a fire.

A Jaws of Life demonstration is also in the works where members of the department will show visitors how they can use special tools to take apart cars to get inside quickly.