During Monday’s meeting of the Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee, Chairman Chuck McCullough asked the members to think about what sort of data they will need moving forward.

McCullough also asked the members to think about whom they should be meeting with during FY24 planning and subsequent forecasts.

            McCullough’s efforts to have the Capital Planning Committee more deeply involved in planning strategies, namely projects and purchases costing $10,000 and greater and with at least a five-year lifecycle, began in earnest during the FY23 planning process.

            The committee asked town department heads to prepare more in-depth details, especially those related to vehicle usage, and all associated costs both immediate and proposed for subsequent years. The members spend time learning about facility needs and capital purchases from the viewpoint of the department heads and plot those expenditures over a 10-year master plan.

            McCullough told the members, “Let’s take a look at this year’s process and maybe tighten up processes for next year,” a process that will begin after the summer break, at which time planning will begin for the FY24 spring Town Meeting.

            The wide-ranging discussions also touched on the need for a computer-tracking tool that would allow department heads and the town’s financial oversight committee’s access to data-driven analysis for planning purposes. McCullough noted at several points in the general discussion that understanding how expenditures would be funded is critical to the work of the committee.

            Bylaws governing the work of Capital Planning Committee were also discussed. Posted on the town’s website are the bylaws. Included in those directives is who should be seated on the committee. The bylaws note a member of the Mattapoisett School Committee, Open Space and Recreation, three citizens at large, a person with business or financial backgrounds, another person with construction management experience and someone from the Finance Committee and/or the town’s Accounting offices.

            The town administrator’s role is described as a person who shall act as an ex officio, non-voting member who can charge the committee with a variety of responsibilities. Those include: study of projects and purchases with a five-year lifespan costing $10,000 or more; inventorying of town facilities; equipment, machinery and other capital assets; study of request to determine relative need; impact and timing of expenditures; producing an annual report for the Select Board and monitoring the execution of authorized projects.

            On that last point, McCullough has asserted that the committee needs more precise review of grants awarded to the town for various projects and purchases as well as appropriations. Tying the funding to capital expenditures had not in previous planning seasons been fully attempted, now such data would be included. Town Administrator Mike Lorenco, who attended, said he would provide funding data.

             Lorenco also shared that presently there are 13 open positions within town departments that he is trying to fill, openings in such areas of responsibility as police, clerical administrative and highway department. He also said that he would be meeting later in the week with members of the MassDOT team associated with the Bike Path Phase 1b to learn the status of test planking on the bridge over the barrier beach at Good Speed Island, testing necessitated by defective planking earlier in the construction. He said grants would be sought for repairs to Long Wharf now estimated at approximately $5,000,000 and that a Complete Streets grant has allowed the improvements to the bike path crossings at Mattapoisett Neck Road and Brandt Island Road now under construction.

            No meeting date was scheduled upon adjournment.

Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee

By Marilou Newell

Before adjourning on Monday evening, the members of the Mattapoisett Planning Board shared their collective concerns that the lack of administrative/clerical assistance is taxing the members of the board.

            The recently resigned Janice Robbins, whose expertise in real estate and planning law was considered a great asset to the board’s proceedings, had “burnt out” in her efforts to keep the volumes of documents up to date and accurate in the board’s unmanned office. Now much of what Robbins was handling in the absence of a board administrator has fallen to member Nathan Ketchel, who was already balancing many aspects of the Planning office, Chairman Tom Tucker noted.

            Attending for the first time since being elected to Robbins’ vacated seat was John Mathieu, a real estate attorney and second-time Planning Board member. Mathieu commented that the town needs a Planning Board administrator versus a planner and that the Conservation Commission needs an agent.

            The Select Board had attempted to combine the roles of environmental agent and town planner into one job and received a handful of interested applicants who ultimately either withdrew or did not meet the town’s needs.

            “The town needs an (environmental) agent more than a planner … a town this size doesn’t need a planner,” Mathieu said. No one on the board refuted his opinion. Mathieu said it would not be a problem to share administrative hours with the Conservation Commission but that with many wetland issues the town needs an agent. Tucker said he would discuss the matter once again with the town administrator.

            In business handled earlier in the meeting, a continued public hearing on a Form C application filed by Dandy Realty Trust, represented by Bill Madden of G.A.F. Engineering, was reopened. After review of what had become a lengthy process for the planned improvements to Nicky’s Lane, the board approved the request, noting a bond will be set at a later date prior to construction.

            Also approved was a Form A filed by Veronica Kenney and Christopher Lenk for property located at 64 Fairhaven Road.

            A Form C application filed by Dennis Mahoney and Sons for property located off North Street near an active sand pit was opened.

            Representing the property owners was Rich Riccio of Field Engineering. As he had during the Zoning Board meeting, which had produced a Special Permit for a small-scale solar array, Riccio described the project as half-megawatt array with 1,500 panels. He said the property owners were building the array themselves and would retain ownership throughout the array’s lifetime. He said the Form C (application) was required so that the access roadway could be built and that it would measure 24 feet wide by 300 feet long.

            Ketchel questioned why drainage calculations had not been provided and wanted to ensure that stormwater would not flow onto abutting properties. Riccio said that calculations were completed, that he would provide them immediately and that there is a detention basin in the designs.

            All requested waivers for such items as sidewalk or the need for utilities were granted. The filing was continued until July 18.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, July 18, at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

The popular Marion Road restaurant that was destroyed by fire in October of 2021, Cilantro Thai Cuisine, might soon rise from the ashes to return to its original address.

            Cilantro owner Derek Tiago appeared before the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals on May 26 with a plan to move his business to 290 Front Street, a former retail clothing shop, and to request the special permit to allow one nonconforming zoning use, a retail operation, to become another nonconforming use, a restaurant, that the plan requires.

            Tiago ended up agreeing to first confer with the owner of his original location, 374 Marion Road, who is in the midst of rebuilding there, as to whether he could return there instead.

            Zoning panel Chairperson Cynthia Callow revealed the opposition that Tiago faced via a letter from two neighbors, Richard and Janet Barnes, who live two doors down from the proposed new location. The Barnes asserted that the change is more detrimental to the neighborhood than the prior nonconforming use was. They complained the location’s business hours will increase leading to more traffic, noise and food odors.

            Tiago responded to the Barnes’ concerns by noting his is a small family restaurant. He insisted that the ventilation system and the type of food he cooks will not lead to a strong food smell. He said that 80 percent of his business is take-out so his 10-space parking area will not be crowded. There will be no liquor or live music.

            Board member Marge Baldwin praised Tiago. She said her husband was the prior owner of 374 Marion Road and that Tiago, his wife and sister-in-law were “hard-working, gracious tenants. And I want is to promote small business in Marion.”

            Callow noted that she and fellow members and even the Barnes were satisfied, regular customers of Cilantro.

            “We don’t want our neighbors who are also our customers upset with us,” Tiago responded.

            Board member Will Tifft asked if returning to 374 Marion Road was an option for him. Tiago said it was a possibility, according to “conversations” he has had with that property owner. He said he would talk to him again. He would like his new restaurant to open by October, he said.

            The board voted to continue the public hearing until the July 14 ZBA meeting to give Tiago time to pursue his options. 

            Callow pointed out the process for permission to move to Front Street will not get Tiago there by October. Going back to Front Street might be quicker.

            In other action, the ZBA approved a plan to renovate a nonconforming structure, a home at 12 West Avenue. The proposal is to expand an enclosed living space. Four bedrooms will be redesigned to become three. A second floor will be built above the garage for storage space and utilities that will thus be moved away from the flood plain.

            The Zoning Board of Appeals next meeting will be held on Thursday, June 9, at 6:30 pm.

Marion Zoning Board of Appeals

By Michael J. DeCicco