The Rochester Conservation Commission Tuesday night permitted signage to be placed at 52 Wolf Island Road to allow boaters access to the watery part of that property.

            The commission ruled that a plan to install the two state Department of Environmental Protection Chapter 91 signs near the dam at that address will not impact wetlands there, after the property owners’ engineering consultant, Matthew Leone, noted that this is all that is planned for that portion of the parcel.

            Leone said in his appearance before the board on Zoom that four 4-foot-high, pressure-treated wood posts will hold up signs that will mark the entryway where the public in their boats may access the waterway. He said the contractor will simply dig the holes and set them in impacted gravel.

            Commission member Ben Bailey asked if there is a regulation that allows a minimal amount of earth displacement on a project like this.

            Either way, Leone said, it will be only a minor displacement.

            “I’m just curious if there are any standards,” Bailey said, “under so many cubic yards.”

            The final “negative determination” (of impact to the resource area) vote was unanimous.

            Commission Chairman Christopher Gerrior explained after the vote that the signs will mark “a portage spot” that can only be accessed by someone already boating in the area.

            Gerard W. and Lucille Morris own a home and cranberry bogs at the address.

            Next, the Conservation Commission approved a plan by homeowners on Walnut Plain Road to remove a dead tree that could hit their home if it is not taken away soon. Gerrior explained to the commission that a new regulation allowing Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly to permit a homeowner to take such action without a tree-removal permit application if it is a single tree that will not fall into wetlands. Kelly simply wanted to make sure this instance fits that criterium.

            Gerrior then announced that there will be no more ticketing of 89 Box Turtle Drive for wetland violations, as directed by Town Counsel Blair Bailey. He said Bailey is now in conversation with the property owner’s attorney.

            The commission’s violation order against 89 Box Turtle Drive in July was for clearing land too close to wetlands without a permit and not even trying to communicate with commission members to resolve the issue.

            The board’s next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 18, at 7:00 pm at Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School library and accessible via Zoom.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Michael J. DeCicco

            The Rochester Select Board has chosen Cambridge-based The Galante Architecture Studio to study whether to renovate or replace the Police and/or Fire stations, and Monday night’s public meeting also delivered the appointment of a full, eight-member Feasibility Study Committee to oversee the process.

            The Select Board picked the firm, the members called “TGAS” for short, after recently interviewing three contenders for the contract worth approximately $10,000.

            Select Board member Brad Morse made the motion in favor of TGAS, noting it was the last of the three firms to present but the most impressive. Morse said he was especially impressed by the fact the company is devoted only to public-safety buildings, not schools or other municipal facilities. He said his view of who would be his number-one pick changed over the course of the interview process. “TGAS is now my number-one choice,” he said.

            The board also approved a number-two choice, RGB Architects. Providence-based RGB will be considered should contract negotiations with TGAS fail, board members said. The board then authorized Town Administrator Glenn Cannon to negotiate said contracts with the assistance of Town Counsel Blair Bailey.

            Along with Morse, who will represent the Select Board to the study committee as one of its eight members, the following were also appointed to review the results of the architect’s work: Chief of Police Robert Small, Fire Chief Scott Weigel, Planning Board member Arnold Johnson, Finance Committee member Kris Stoltenberg, Zoning Board of Appeals member Davis Sullivan, Brian Porter and Melissa Dougall.

            Before the appointment of the Feasibility Study Committee was made official by the Select Board’s vote, Selectman Paul Ciaburri had motioned to appoint Adam Murphy to the committee, but Morse urged the board to reverse the motion because the citizen members of the committee should not be connected to public safety. Murphy is the deputy harbormaster and shellfish officer for the Town of Marion.

            The board agreed and dropped the motion, even as Murphy complained that the stipulation was “unfair.” He said, if he had understood that as a stipulation, he would have asked for it to be changed.

            Prior to this important vote, the board met the new Plumb Library director, Kristen Cardoso, a New Bedford native with 17 years of library work experience.

            Her appointment by the Plumb Library Board of Trustees resolves the disruption created by the sudden resignation of former Library Director Jennifer Woodward in early August after only a month on the job.

            Cardoso elaborated in an interview after the introduction that she started as page at the New Bedford Public Library. After six years there, she left to earn her Masters’ Degree in Library Science at McGill University in Montreal. She then worked as an academic librarian in California before returning to New England as the branch manager at the Howland Green Library in New Bedford.

            In other action, the board approved appointments recommended by the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Conservation Commission. Alternate ZBA member Donald Spirlet will become a full member to fill the seat recently vacated by retired member Kirby Gilmore, and Michelle Upton will become a new alternate member. Conservation Commission full member Kevin Thompson will drop down to an associate member, and recently installed associate member Carl H. McDermott III will be promoted to full membership.

            In related action, the board issued a citation of appreciation to Gilmore, “for your enduring commitment to the Town of Rochester.” Select Board Chairman Woody Hartley noted that Gilmore has served on so many town boards for so many years that it would be too long a list to recite.

            The board then approved spending $3,700 of funds recently donated to the town by SEMASS for a safety-restraint chair for the Police Department. Decisions on spending the remainder of those were placed “on hold.”

            Cannon reported plans are in the works to hire a reserve officer for Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School and organize a Veterans Day event at Town Hall.

            Under items for signature, the Select Board renewed the town’s $96,000 Ambulance BAN (Bond Anticipatory Note) for the current fiscal year and appointed two town police officers for Election Day duty: Elijah Vicente-Roberts and Brian Delmonte. Thirdly, the board signed an agreement to allow the producers of the AMC television series “Invitation to a Bonfire” to close Route 105 from Long Pond Road in Lakeville to North Avenue in Rochester for filming on Monday, October 17, from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

            The selectmen were unable to transact much business when the Park Commission joined the meeting at the Select Board’s request. Hartley said his board wanted the Park Commission to submit “more encompassing” budgets in the future. “We want a more realistic budget,” he said.

            Hartley explained after the meeting that the commission has approached the town numerous times to request funding for extra items that he says should already be in its annual budget.

            During the public meeting, Park Commission Chairman David Hughes responded that his board is working out the “fluctuations” in its budget on its own. “We are an elected board and are not answerable to the Board of Selectmen,” Hughes said.

            Switching hats to speak as chairman of the Finance Committee, Stoltenberg headed off further discussion by noting the next fiscal year’s Park Commission budget has not yet been presented to the Finance Committee and that budget questions should wait until then.

            The Select Board’s next scheduled meeting will be held on Monday, October 17, at 6:00 pm at Town Hall, also accessible via Zoom.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

            During Monday night’s meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board, Bay Club representative David Andrews said that more than 20 years ago when the residential subdivision was first being planned and permitted, it was decided that the Planning Board would oversee site plans and any and all associated covenants and sureties. After announcing that the original subdivision was nearing final build-out, Andrews said a smaller plan for additional units was being proposed.

            Andrews said that two lots currently zoned “light industrial” needed to be rezoned to “residential” lots. This change would give the necessary 5 acres needed for a special residential district in which up to 12 additional two- and three-bedroom units could be built. He said that preliminary concepts included units of approximately 2,600 square feet.

            Planning Board member Karen Field asked if these would be affordable-housing units. Andrews replied, “affordable for Mattapoisett.” The units will be priced at market value, he clarified. The proposed subdivision will also require vetting by the Zoning Board of Appeals to change its status to residential.

            The project will be located approximately 1,000 feet from Industrial Drive and be accessible from the back entrance, Andrews noted.

            Regarding roadway completion on existing roads in the private subdivision, Andrews said that plans call for completion in October.

            Roland Cote met with the Planning Board to receive authorization to remove seven trees in the public way along Randall Road. He said that new construction in that area has exposed damaged trees now listing or otherwise diseased. He said, “We’ve got plenty of trees in Mattapoisett; I wouldn’t worry about a few trees (being removed.)” Cote said it is not a scenic roadway. He said that the developer might be willing to plant some trees.

            Sandra Hering, chairman of the Tree Committee, said that the group does not favor spending limited funds on trees along a dead-end road, instead being more selective of planting locations. She said the committee has plans that they could share with the Planning Board for reference. Hering also expressed her concern that the board was rather quick in approving tree removal but sought common ground moving forward.

            A request for an Approval Not Required was approved for property located at 35 Mattapoisett Neck Road. Engineer David Davignon of Schneider, Davignon & Leone, Inc. confirmed that the Zoning Board of Appeals has granted a variance and that subsequent appeals by abutters were denied.

            A Form C application for a Definitive Plan submitted by JBL Fairhaven Road, LLC for property located on the northside of Fairhaven Road was continued until November 7 pending peer-review report from Field Engineering.

            Also continued was a Site Plan Review for 156 Acushnet Road, the location planned for a solar array. The property owner plans to keep sheep nearby. An existing 5-foot fence will remain in place to separate the animals from the ground-mounted solar panels. Sun Partners Solar is working with the owners, and Outback Engineering is the engineer of record. An application has been sent to the state, it was disclosed, and Field Engineering will be the peer-review consultants. The filing was continued until November 7.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, October 17, at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

            Once again the Mattapoisett Select Board found it necessary to share difficult news about the Mattapoisett elevated pathway, the much anticipated, full opening of the Mattapoisett Bike Path between Depot Street and Reservation Road.

            It had been hoped that replacement planking would find the final piece of the elevated pathway nearing completion by now. A previous hiccup that stalled the completion, defective planking, was to have been replaced. It was. However, the Select Board did not believe the replacement planking would stand the test of time. Now, with all planking removed on the Phase 1b span, the project is once again stalled.

            Select Board member Jordan Collyer said the town did not have to accept the portion of the pathway if it was unsatisfied with construction and/or materials. He said that MassDOT officials had said that there could be dual ownership but that no such agreement was ever forwarded to the town. Collyer presented a letter drafted to Jonathan Gulliver of MassDOT that spoke frankly to the problem and asked for a remedy by November 15. He asked Select Board Chairman Tyler Macallister and member Jodi Bauer to approve sending the letter.

            The letter reads in part, “When the glulam panels started failing, the Town advised the project team and attempted to seek resolution before the matter became catastrophic to the project’s completion. Much to our displeasure, nothing was resolved on or after that meeting date, and construction continued until cupping of the panels reached an unacceptable level. … The Town is not in favor of the glulam panel replacements. … The Select Board has no confidence that a similar panel will last even a meaningful measure of time.” (Glulam is an engineered product comprised of wood laminations bonded together by adhesives.)

            The letter goes on to say that shared ownership for a 20-year period had been discussed with the town, and promises were made that the town would hear back from the state office by July. That did not happen. Now the town requests, “A resolution to this matter before November 15 so we can properly move this project towards completion.” The board moved to have the letter sent.

            Earlier in the meeting, the Select Board met with Highway Surveyor Garrett Bauer to briefly review roadway projects. Bauer said that Pearl Street construction estimates are $817,000 and that $120,000 grant dollars from Complete Streets would cover a planned sidewalk from Route 6 to Hammond Street.

            Bauer said he would like to secure funding for Baptist Street ahead of the village streets’ reconstruction currently planned for TIP funding in 2026. More immediate work is needed for Oakland Street where sewer work recently began. Bauer said that water and gas service needs updating with water lines from the 1950s. He estimated those repairs at $616,000, but funding has not been planned.

            Town Administrator Mike Lorenco said that ARPA funds could be used for a project of this scope. The over $1,000,000 the town has received from the federal program has not to date been used.

            Bauer said that state Chapter 90 funds could finance the needed asphalt overlay for Crystal Springs Road and crack and sealing needed on Long Plain Road and Hitching Post Road.

            The Water Street culvert repair engineering and design costs were $150,000 but most likely will not be added to the larger village street project being designed by VHB. Lorenco said the engineering firm GPI was used for that culvert. That repair project alone is estimated at $8,000,000. Bauer said of the culvert work, “There’s no way around it, it has to be done.”

            Another culvert repair on the near horizon is located on Pine Island Road. Bauer said, given the amount of wildlife in that area, grant opportunities are likely.

            Fall Town Meeting was tentatively scheduled for Monday, November 14.

            Don Cuddy had hoped that his request for a warrant article banning alcohol nips would go before Town Meeting this fall. However, the board thought it prudent to give liquor-store owners the right to weigh in on economic impact first. Macallister also felt that by having Cuddy secure the necessary signatures to have a bylaw placed in the warrant would also carry the impact of exposing the problem of littering along roadways and clogging of catch basins.

            The board concurred that a remedy should be sought but that even if a ban of the sale of nips in Mattapoisett was passed, it might not reduce the littering. It was noted that the nips would most likely be purchased in a neighboring town. Cuddy said he will secure the 10 signatures needed, and the matter will go before the fall 2023 Town Meeting.

            Lorenco said that end-of-year transfers amounting to $169,770 were planned. As he noted to the Finance Committee, part of the budgetary reckoning is a result of being unaware of three additional contracts for trash and recyclables collection in the amount of $110,400. As Bay Club, The Villages and Mattapoisett Landing received approval to have their covenants modified, new contracts were signed versus the original being modified. Lorenco has assured the Finance Committee that would be rectified.

            Ned’s Point Lighthouse could become owned by the town if the public approves. Collyer said that given the prominence and importance of the historic lighthouse to Mattapoisett, the town should take it over. He said that because the light remains a navigational aid, the Coast Guard would maintain that functional role, while the town would be responsible to maintain the structure.

            The consensus of the board was positive with Bauer wondering about maintenance costs. But Collyer said, given that the Coast Guard has no interest in keeping the structure in good appearance, it behooves the town to do something.

            Lorenco said that as a federal structure, anyone could buy the lighthouse. That prompted the board to rally around presenting it to Town Meeting for a vote. It was unclear if the question will go before Town Meeting in the fall or spring.

            Long Wharf repair cost estimates were once again discussed with Macallister saying it is time to get all invested parties in one room to decide what option would work the best for the town. Estimates for a hybrid using both concrete blocks and stone stand at $20,800,000. “Every year we wait, it goes up another million dollars,” Macallister said. Public meetings will be planned ahead of the Fall Town Meeting.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board is planned for Tuesday, October 18, at 6:30 pm.

Mattapoisett Select Board

By Marilou Newell