Once the Rochester Planning Board arrived at the most expedient way of gaining an easement to property being divided for the sake of creating a residential lot off Mary’s Pond Road, Decas Cranberry Company LLC made substantial progress with its plans.

            Tuesday night’s public hearing at Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School library was focused on a Definitive Subdivision application filed by the Rochester-based applicant within the Residential/Agricultural District for property known as Merry Bog and according to record, owned in part by Carver-based Fruit D’Or Real Estate USA Corporation.

            Decas is proposing a two-lot subdivision with a 365-foot-long, recycled-asphalt driveway. The driveway will presumably function as a private road called Merry Way and serve as emergency access to be maintained by the owner of the residential lot in perpetuity.

            Representing Decas, New Bedford-based John Libby appeared in person for the meeting, and Zac Basinski of Bracken Engineering which performed the drainage design, participated via Zoom.

            After Libby explained that the first 50 feet of the driveway will be paved and the rest gravel, Basinski asserted that the swales “should be adequate” for drainage.

            Planning Board Chairman Arnie Johnson wanted more than verbal assurance.

            “Five years after everyone’s gone … we want to make sure Mary’s Pond Road isn’t going to take on any water,” he said.

            Hypothetical scenarios are treated as imminent reality for the sake of conserving town finances including legal costs so the board and the applicant’s representatives batted around ideas on conditioning an easement. While Basinski said the applicant cannot grant itself an easement until the property’s owner is known, a condition can be put on an easement. Libby said that the easement is part of the lot right now.

            Planning Board member Ben Bailey suggested the applicant grant the easement to the town right now by delivering a draft version to the board. The board would presumably relay the easement as presented to Town Counsel Blair Bailey (no relation) for his approval.

            Ben Bailey then said, “We should have the attorney write the easement.” Johnson concurred, noting “that way it doesn’t affect the permitting” and appeal process. “We’re all in agreement. … It’s still future, but we have the easement now.”

            While the easement was the main point of discussion of a very well laid out and illustrated plan, Johnson told the applicant’s representatives, “We don’t approve subdivision plans the same night that we get them.”

            Johnson noted the substantial work done by the board behind the scenes to reach a point where the easement could be the only substantial point of discussion on this night.

            The Select Board will be the approving agency for the street name, currently planned as Merry Way.

            The Planning Board voted unanimously to close the public hearing. Johnson said the draft decision will be sent out and then a vote for final approval of the decision will be taken at the next meeting. Meantime, the board has two weeks to pour over details of the case and revisit the site as it finds necessary.

            In her Town Planner’s Report, Nancy Durfee told the board that “some of the escrow has moved forward” and updated the members on several projects including Connet Woods, Snipatuit, Mattapoisett and Rounseville Roads. Work on those roads will wait until spring.

            Durfee visited Hartley Mills and described the site as well vegetated with the roadway in good condition.

            Three units at the Plumb Corner village development have been sold and powered up with electricity, but the septic is not up to the same point of progress, needing pumps and/or technical features installed.

            The units cannot be conveyed until the Planning Board okays following its site visit, and the Board of Health would need to approve the septic system. The board agreed that with all three phases of septic going through one system, the development will need generator backup.

            Next week, said Durfee, there will be an internal check on operations involving Field Engineering. The associated playground is estimated to be two weeks out and has been reconfigured to the other side closer to the mall.

            Durfee was to attend a meeting of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) on Wednesday, where it was expected there would be discussion about the MBTA.

            Johnson asked about site work at Matt’s Diner, where some cleanup has yet to solve relocation of a shipping container that will be displaced by a playground. “I’m sure the public-safety people are going to want to know where that’s going to go,” he said.

            Durfee also reported having attended a very productive meeting with representatives from other town departments.

            Board administrator Victoria D’Antoni reported on a new computer interface that will allow applicants, town personnel and the public to view permitting processes for ongoing projects. Using the Viewpoint program, applications can be submitted online. The town clerk will have an electronic time stamp and can still require hard copies for the clerk’s office.

            “I think it makes things more accessible for everyone involved,” she said, noting that other departments can view where an application is in the process.

            Johnson said he has found the system used by the Town of Marion to be difficult particularly as it requires information difficult to access. “It’s all required and you can’t bypass it,” said Johnson, noting he has applied for three permits in Marion. “Every time I’ve had to call the building inspector and get information from him … what zone you’re in, and you can’t get that information so, in the end, you’re still making a call.”

            “Some building officials like it and some don’t like it … there are things to look out for,” said Durfee.

            The board approved payments of $1,634 plus interest for escrow account back to Covanta, $500.07 in escrow back to Ben Bailey, and $1,878.78 and $812 to solar-project applicants.

            A special permit application from Renewable Energy was continued to February 8.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, at 7:00 pm.

Rochester Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

            The Marion Energy Management Committee is at a critical stage in its effort to influence the energy-consumption designs of two major municipal construction projects facing Marion voters this year, as both a new Department of Public Works operations center and a new Maritime Center will be on the May 9 Town Meeting warrant.

            Both matters were discussed during the committee’s public meeting on Monday afternoon.

            According to EMC Chairman Christian Ingerslev, Town Administrator Jay McGrail has indicated that there are opportunities to reduce power in the proposed DPW headquarters at Benson Brook.

            “If we could figure out a way to do some solar in town, maybe it would be enough to cover our (new) buildings, especially in the case of the Harbormaster,” said member Bill Saltonstall.

            Ingerslev was quick to qualify such an effort: “As long as it doesn’t compromise the agreement we have with Future Generation Wind. … I couldn’t agree more. We need to keep monitoring the usage of power as their buildings come online.”

            Having turned over every known rock inside the town lines in an effort to bring up Marion’s Green Communities profile, Saltonstall lamented that the only apparent place for more savings is new (electric) police vehicles.

            “We’ve got to find ways to push us over the top, the 20 percent (that would qualify Marion for a new wave of grant funding for green-energy-related projects,)” he said, noting that all the town’s departments need to become cognizant of this ongoing effort.

            Saltonstall and Ingerslev further discussed work slated for the Cushing Community Center and the Taber Library as potential opportunities to install heat pumps and go electric.

            Member Jennifer Francis asked about some leasing of town property for the sake of more revenue-generating solar installations. Member Alanna Nelson discussed aggregation and said there may be incentives to buy a greener plan, noting multiple levels.

            Member Tom Friedman told the committee that he is now working with Trinity Solar and seeking information. Francis said she will email My Generation Solar.

            While the new Maritime Center is approaching its construction phase, the EMC has been aggressive in trying to influence the harbormaster’s new headquarters toward a net-zero energy design. Ingerslev told the members that there was a recent meeting and that he is waiting for a report back on how close to net-zero the designers can get and the associated cost.

            Francis said it’s crucial that the town understand the two sides to the cost coin. “Not just cost … I hope it would take into account the savings. This is an investment, not an expense,” she said. “If we have a net-zero building in town, it’s going to save a lot of money. It’s going to cost a lot up front, but … the lifetime savings, not the lifetime cost.”

            Member Eileen Marum noted that Representative William Straus recently said that most of the net-zero projects that lead the way in an energy revolution are going to come from the local level and not to expect that to start at the federal level.

            While reporting to the EMC that he was still waiting for a reply from Green Communities on Marion’s initiatives, Saltonstall new blood is working on the Mass Energy Insight program.

            “I expect to hang on to my membership on the committee for a while, but my days are probably numbered, and it’s time for someone to get involved,” he said. Friedman welcomed the idea and said he would like to become Saltonstall’s “understudy.”

            Late in the meeting, Marum discussed the importance of a designated escape route, the necessity of roads in good repair and especially culverts. She said the culverts must be able to handle the levels of a 100-year storm event and that any new infrastructural designs should likewise project out to 2100.

            Early in the meeting, Francis, an associate member, asked about becoming a full-voting member, citing that the EMC is down members. Ingerslev said the Select Board prefers an odd number of votes. Nonetheless, he offered to write the board a letter.

            Nelson said the committee should seek more membership as the solution. Citing Marion’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan status update, she identified it as a “perfect opportunity to make sure we’ve got Jennifer operating as a full member.” Ingerslev said it is his own prerogative not to vote for that sake.

            The next meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee is scheduled for Monday, February 28, at 5:00 pm.

Marion Energy Management Committee

By Mick Colageo

            On January 19, the Rochester Select Board met with members of Rochester’s Public Safety Committee to discuss a wide range of topics from the need for portable generators to the need for a new fire station.

            Heading up the discussion relating to a new fire station was Chief Scott Weigel, who introduced Bruce Dillion of Dore and Whittier Architects of Newburyport. As noted by Weigel, the company is well- known and well-entrenched in the design and project management of public safety structures such as fire stations.

            Dillion gave an oral presentation outlining the type of services his company can offer Rochester. “The first step is to perform a feasibility study,” he said. That study would look at the three stations now in operation throughout the community located on Pine Street, Neck Road and Ryder Road. That study would also take into consideration current structural conditions, compliance with NFPA codes and ability to service the needs of the community. He said that a GIS expert would layer in data for run times for the existing stations.

            Dillion said that once armed with this data, the process could proceed to schematic designs for conceptual fire stations. He said another aspect of the project would be programming which would help the town consider whether operating three stations remains prudent. Once all the pertinent data is collected, modeling for cost estimating could be developed.

            When asked how long the feasibility study would take, Dillion estimated two or three months. He said the town would need to submit a public Request for Quotation given that the full preconstruction costs would exceed $30,000. He also advised the committee and board that the town will need to assemble a building committee for the proposed project, a committee with decision-making responsibilities.

            With Town Meeting scheduled for May 23, Select Board member Woody Hartley said the architect’s work would need to be completed by April. “We need to get ourselves organized to bring it before the people for their support,” he said.

            Where a new fire station would be built was briefly discussed. Select Board Chairman Brad Morse said a local property owner is ready to work with the town. “We don’t have a lot of land,” said Morse. Hartley indicated that any discussions regarding land acquisition needed to be a more public process. “Post something publicly for anyone out there … open to everyone,” he suggested.

            On December 11, 2021, the Town of Mattapoisett dedicated a new fire station at an estimated, all-inclusive cost of approximately $10,000,000.

            In an update regarding grants, Weigel reported that the Fire Department has received a $14,200 grant from the Department of Fire Services for 10 self-contained, breathing-apparatus air cylinders. He said the department has also applied for a grant in the amount of $248,000 to replace 26 Scott SCBA (self-contained, breathing apparatus) units. He said the department’s SCBA’s would become NFPA noncompliant in 2023.

            Facilities Manager Andrew Daniel suggested the purchasing of portable generators in the event a wired-in unit goes out of service. He also said that interior and exterior camaras would soon be installed at the Council on Aging building. Daniels said, given the population served by the center, falling accidents are possible. He also said security would be enhanced by external units.

            During discussions with Jilayne Mitchell of Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA,) the need for training to help understand and avert cyberattacks is becoming increasingly important. She said that grants are available to help fund the training.

            That brought the group to the failing condition of the town’s internet server. Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar suggested that Rochester consider moving to a cloud-based server at a cost of $2,000 per month.

            The next joint meeting of the Select Board and the Public Safety Committee was not scheduled at adjournment.

Rochester Select Board and Public Safety Committee

By Marilou Newell