The Marion Planning Board heard from Matt Sperry of Rochester-based sail supplier Sperry Fabric Architecture regarding the company’s plans for a parcel it bought in Marion.

            The continued Presubmission Conference held on Monday night at the Police Station for site-plan review for construction of a 30×90-foot metal storage building at 19 Marconi Lane (Map 24, Lot 13V) on property zoned as Limited Industrial focused the board primarily on roof runoff.

            “Stormwater management will be one of the most important things we want to look at,” said Planning Board Chairman Tucker Burr.

            Town Planner Doug Guey-Lee, attending remotely, asked about measures to deal with the discharge of water. Sperry anticipates a design that will include stone along the perimeter and runoff heading into a dry well.

            Sperry described the lot as “kind of … funny” and U-shaped but noted the lot is essentially clear, requiring removal of no more than a couple of small trees. It has been surveyed, he said, and is “tight but conforms to the setbacks.”

            The wetlands have yet to be delineated. The next step, Sperry said, will be to work on drainage and get the engineer’s plan.

            “We won’t be adding any workshop,” he said. “We’ll probably heat it, maybe a heated slab if we can pull that off.”

            The building will likely have a concrete foundation.

            Board members’ questions ranged from content in storage to activities on site.

            Sperry said the stored materials will be dried and prepared off site and be storage-ready upon delivery to the new building. “It’s our own stuff, mostly fabric and wood, in crates,” he said.

            Regarding flammability, board member William Dale Jones said the materials used in Sperry’s business are not a threat for combustion, and member Ryan Burke cited state regulations doing most of the work to ensure safety of the stored materials.

            “It all has to be approved by the state,” said Jones, insisting the materials stored are “not going to be flammable.” Jones went through his own permitting process and said “everything had to comply … I wouldn’t worry about the material. Everything now is made to conform, it’s tested.”

            Sperry said that he believes the building’s size does not trigger a requirement for a sprinkler system. Board member Jon Henry said the design will require approval of the fire chief anyway.

            Guey-Lee said the project “fits the criteria for major site-plan review, to be clear.” That noted, he also pointed out that the board can waive requirements from the roster of considerations, including a traffic study. Sperry said parking spots can be added on site.

            Board member Eileen Marum asked about the energy source for heat, specifically solar, heat pumps and roof and height and orientation. Marum noted that the town’s Energy Management Committee is trying to encourage people to use solar or heat pumps for any new construction.

            “Yeah, we would consider it. I’m a fan of solar,” said Sperry. “We’re happy to look into that. … Our building in Rochester has solar.”

            Guey-Lee encouraged the members to articulate any concerns and cover the questions.

            “If we haven’t asked for it tonight, we probably don’t want it or definitely won’t ask for it. That’s up to the board to decide,” he said. “A lot of it may not be applicable. It’s helpful for everyone involved to (establish) what we do want to see and take it from there.”

            One thing Burr thought appropriate – and the board voted accordingly – was to require Sperry to open a $500, 53G account for peer-review purposes should Marion need to bring in an expert.

            The subject of visual screening was briefly addressed, and Marum noted abutters include Sippican Health Care Center, Marion Village Estates and a couple of other private residences.

            Board member Alanna Nelson asked Sperry to inform the abutters and establish a layout of the access, a list of abutters and note on the site plan the location of the closest fire hydrant (they believe it to be on Atlantis Drive.) Sperry said he can access the lot from Atlantis Drive or through a set of stone pillars.

            The board intends to waive the environmental assessment and traffic study that goes along with major site-plan review.

            Citing the possibility of PCB’s (chemical compounds), Henry asked Sperry if he knew of any former building or use of the site, which he did not.

            The board unanimously voted to require major site-plan review and deposit of $500 in a 53G account.

            A 50-year-old permanent pier ramp and float at 35 Dexter Road will be replaced after the Planning Board voted to grant Sandra Peterson a Special Permit.

            Attending the meeting remotely, project representative Brian Wallace explained that the proposed 72×4-foot, pile-supported pier will be permanent with attached ramps and a float that will be removed seasonally.

            The Marion Conservation Commission issued an Order of Conditions for the project in October, and the Harbormaster approved the plan.

            Asserting that the new construction will pose no adverse impact on recreational use of waters and is consistent in its design with those attached to several abutting properties, Wallace explained that “float stops” will prevent the float from resting on the bottom of the river.

            “We’re completely avoiding any marsh,” said Wallace, explaining the initial proposal for a pier measuring 90.5 feet in length. He said going farther out minimizes the amount of dirt kicked up from the surface but that the location of boulders also affected the design. “We did an additional survey (to) make sure we weren’t causing any issues. The float stops are a very important part of this project.”

            Wallace added that the Harbormaster requested a donation to shellfish propagation, “So the applicant will certainly be doing this.”

            Pilings that will go 8 feet deep are likely to be made of non-pressure-treated wood, though Wallace said some aspects of the design have been “left a little open ended.” He did not rule out the use of fiberglass but said they would most likely be made of timber. “No Styrofoam material,” he said.

            Any deck material cut on site will be done on the upland portion of the site. The float will be constructed off site and hauled to the site.

            Marum asked about the dock’s geographical orientation, noting that an east-west layout causes “all-day shading” and “poor water quality for vegetation.” Wallace said there has historically been no natural grass in the immediate area, nor is there eel grass.

            Wallace described the layout as more “northeast-southwest … we kept it pretty consistent with the shape of the shoreline,” he said, adding that the pier deck is proposed at 6.5 feet in height with a high-water mark of 5 feet. Burke confirmed per the state’s Chapter 91 requirement that there will be a ¾-inch gap between panels to let light pass through.

            Nelson questioned the size of the float (12×20 feet) as compared to other neighboring floats. Wallace said 18 feet is a standard length.

            Nelson also asked for a change in Guey-Lee’s prepared decision to use the October 24 plan rather than that dated September 20 due to the revisions.

            Marum was less than pleased that she had not seen the decision in print until arriving for the public hearing and suggested the board take more time to look it over. Guey-Lee apologized for not giving more time and noted the board could vote to continue the case. “I think we’re still in our time frame to approve something like this,” he said, elaborating on the key components.

            Marum held to her contention that a decision was premature “because of these details that we really shouldn’t make this decision this evening. We may find other things that should be changed.”

            Burke said he was okay approving the project given the rigorous Chapter 91 requirements.

            Marum abstained from an otherwise unanimous vote of approval. Andrew Daniel was not present on Monday.

            At the request of developer Matt Zuker, the continued public hearing for a Special Permit and major site-plan review for 78 Wareham Road, Zuker’s “The Cottages” residential project off Route 6, has been continued to December 4 at 7:05 pm.

            In other business, the board voted to pay Field Engineering $4,500 for consulting work relating to 78 Wareham Road.

            The board also discussed a request by the Zoning Board of Appeals for comment on the case of Eric Winer and Nancy Borstleman at 18 West Avenue (Planting Island.) Guey-Lee said the project is headed to the Conservation Commission. The Planning Board offered no comment.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, November 20, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station.

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

            The October 26 meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee heard a presentation on MCAS testing data that was generally encouraging, but the committee did not shy away from efforts to pinpoint areas where it can help facilitate improvement in weaker areas.

            The summary of scores were as follows: 530-560 Exceeding Expectations, 500-529 Meeting Expectations, 470-499 Partially Meeting Expectation and 440-469 Not Meeting Expectations.

            Student Growth Percentiles (SGP’s) were issued to students having registered prior scores and having met current grade-level requirements on a 1-99 scale and are measured against the state’s mean SGP. English Language and Mathematics are counted but not Science.

            Dr. Shari Federowicz, assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning, identified three statewide trends for ORR District consumption: English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics is in a recovery stage, while Science achievement has shown a slight decrease; Grade 3 (Kindergarten kids in 2020) show flat results; and while “recovery” may show improvement, “achievement” may not improve.

            Mattapoisett has steadily been above the state mean but also shows a dip from 2022 to 2023.

            Dr. Linda Ashley, principal at Center School, gave an overview of scores among Grades 3-6, which had ELA and math recovery and achievement scores higher than the state mean and Grade 5 Science scores above the state level. Ashley said ELA has work to do but is in an encouraging place post-pandemic.

            She pointed out that determining the areas of punctuation is an area of challenge and also determining the meaning of words in context.

            Old Hammondtown Principal Kevin Tavares said that Mattapoisett’s Mathematics accountability is in the top 12% in the state. He said that, although the district’s scores are flat, “our students perform at a pretty high level.”

            Among 10 categories in which Grade 4 students were measured in math, the only area Mattapoisett fell below the state average (and only slightly so) was in understanding fractions and the properties of multiplication.

            In Science, 65% of Mattapoisett Grade 5 students met or exceeded expectations.

            Going forward, action steps are already being taken with the implementation of the district-wide HILL for Literacy program.

            In math, Tavares gave an overview of several areas where Mattapoisett students are testing well above the state mean. Action steps include progress monitoring with Aimsweb Plus, Go Math! and teacher-made assessments.

            Curriculum will be modified and realigned to meet pacing needs.

            While the committee’s sentiment was that everything’s going in the right direction, Grade 3 was identified as lagging particularly in math.

            Committee members Cristen Cowles and Chairperson Carly Lavin articulated a desire to help make the students as confident as they can be in learning and entering exams. While acknowledging that she doesn’t want to coach kids to tests per se, Lavin recognized areas where students can do better. Lavin said she would like to see more explanation in homework, students explaining how they arrive at their answers to questions in math assignments, for instance.

            After further discussion, ORR Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson sought to reinforce perspective by applauding the stakeholders’ effort to look at the more difficult test results by reminding the committee and administration that they are third-grade children.

            “I don’t want to diminish the conversation on pushing in areas that we can improve, but it’s important to talk about the whole child,” he said.

            Lavin acknowledged Nelson’s point, adding that what a third-grade child looks like today differs from what it was in 2019.

            Nelson presented a 2024-25 Draft School Calendar and said having it earlier than in recent years has allowed for more planning. He said he hopes to have a calendar ready for the Joint School Committee’s vote in January.

            Lavin asked for feedback from committee members on the proposed calendar.

            Nelson said a key piece of feedback he has received from faculty is that two full days of professional development before the students arrive at the start of the school year has been beneficial.

            In his business report, Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Operations Howie Barber told the committee the district has approximately $968,000 of “unobligated funding.”

            In her Chairperson’s Report, Lavin noted that the system’s youngest learners have spent half of their lives under the unusual circumstances of the global pandemic and that the committee appreciates the efforts of the ORR Administration and faculty and staff to mitigate that situation for the children.

            Recognizing his plan to retire at the conclusion of the school year, Lavin singled out Tavares’ commitment to the students that “will live on for years to come” and got some laughs when she called her remarks “the first of many opportunities” to laud him. Nelson piled on.

            Given the floor, Tavares thanked the Parent Teacher Association for its support to Grade 5 students in their recent trip to the Boston Tea Party Museum. He also noted that Old Hammondtown has the most students participating in Project 351 in the ORR District.

            Cowles said there are areas where preschoolers can use some extra help.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, December 7, at 6:30 pm at Center School and remotely via Zoom.

Mattapoisett School Committee

By Mick Colageo

            As far as town meetings go, the Mattapoisett Special Fall Town Meeting held on Monday night saw little resistance to the 11 articles brought to the voters for consideration. That is, except for Article 7.

            Article 7 asked the voters to grant authority to the town for the taking of some easements and the acceptance as defined by Field Engineering of Old Slough Road for the purpose of providing residents in the Angelica Avenue area an emergency roadway in the event the beach community suffers storm damage and/or flooding.

            The Mattapoisett Land Trust, which has extensive holdings in the area, has long held that in the event of storms – think Bob for instance – Angelica Avenue might become impassable, basically cutting off residents’ ability to head for higher ground.

            Old Slough Road, the oral history of which includes usage by bootleggers moving alcohol out to waiting boats just offshore, now runs through privately held properties, almost being absorbed into those properties, although easements are in place along its trajectory.

            The town agreed after working with its engineering team from Field Engineering that such an escape route is not only viable but needed.

            A Conservation Commission meeting held on January 9 found abutter David Park questioning the importance of the ancient way and its viability for providing an escape from storm-surge waters.

            Ken Motta of Field Engineering noted that a grant from the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management office in the amount of $585,000 would likely cover all construction costs with approximately $29,000 coming from the town coffers.

            Park disagreed with the mapping Motta had produced and noted that even with Old Slough Road being available, if people didn’t get out in time, they’d be trapped due to fallen trees. Park also stated that he had offered to donate a portion of his abutting property to the land trust for Old Slough Road reconstruction if the trust would indemnify him from legal action should harm come to anyone using the roadway.

            The Conservation Commission conditioned the project as presented by Motta with Chairman Mike King explaining that the commission was not looking at the viability of the road to act as an escape route but merely enforcing the Wetlands Protection Act.

            On Monday, voters heard directly from Park on why he believes Old Slough Road would not perform as believed by residents of the area and the town. He would at one point tell voters a better use of CZM funding would be to elevate Angelica Avenue 8 feet.

            Park was given 10 minutes by moderator Jack Eklund to state his case. What ensued was a 45-minute presentation on the history of the old way, what Park had voluntarily done over the years to improve passage along portion of it, and the belief that the road had never been registered. Park has subsequently filed a suit against the town with the land court. Town Administrator Mike Lorenco said in a follow-up, “Mr. Park’s dispute with the town is now in land court. There has been a hearing and both parties are awaiting judgment.”

            Select Board member Tyler Macallister explained that once completed, Old Slough Road would be gated at both ends with emergency personnel having keys, making the roadway not only an important escape route but also giving greater access to emergency equipment and that passive recreational uses as a walking trail would be available.

            After Park’s presentation, the floor was opened to questions. When the vote that required two-thirds majority to pass was taken, it passed, 124 yes and 6 no.

            The majority of the Town Meeting warrant dealt with financial matters. All articles were approved. Lorenco would point out that the extremely high amount of free cash, some $3,000,000, was an anomaly that most certified free-cash figures are most likely to stand around $1,000,000. He attributed the large sum to a combination of judicious spending and monies associated with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) that have pumped approximately $65,000,000,000 in direct state and local coronavirus-related, fiscal-recovery funds throughout the country.

            Article 1 transferred $ $575,000 from certified free cash to the Debt Stabilization Fund, and Article 2 transferred $335,000 from certified free cash to Capital Stabilization Fund, with Select Board member Jodi Bauer stating that there is an estimated $100,000,000 in capital projects listed on the town’s 10-year capital plan.

            Article 3 appropriated $330,000 for sidewalks, roads and street, and Article 4 $37,000 for a sewer connection for town-owner property off Industrial Drive for the possible construction of office suites.

            Article 5 appropriated $350,000 for improvements and renovation to the Highway Department building located on Mendel Road, and Article 6 amendments to the FY24 budget that included $24,394 treasurer-collector personnel, $100,000 to local school (a return of school-choice monies), and $10,000 for the Transfer Station fund.

            The voters also approved Article 8 confirmatory takings at Tinkham Forest that will grant greater access to residents for passive recreational uses of town-owned property.

            Article 9 granted the establishment of a special fund to receive settlement funds from the Opioid Settlement case. Currently the town has received $40,000, money that will be used for drug education and programming.

            Article 10 was the $353,000 transfer of real estate proceeds from the sale of the former Church Street Water Department office to the Water Department Reserve Fund.

            Article 11 appropriated $8,000,000 for mandatory plant upgrades at the Fairhaven Sewer Plant facility as required by a new Environmental Protection Agency regulation. Henri Renauld, superintendent of the Mattapoisett Sewer Department, told Town Meeting that sewer-rate increases will be needed to pay for a bond. Expected increases are projected to be $110 per year, he said.

Mattapoisett Special Town Meeting

By Marilou Newell