Developer Matt Zuker hopes that voters at Marion’s May 9 Spring Town Meeting will respond more favorably than they did last year when they voted down his application for a zoning change that would have allowed him to pursue construction of a multifamily, residential development on Route 6 next to the much larger Heron Cove project planned by Ken Steen.

            The plan, said Zuker, has not changed.

            His regret from 2021 lies in the emphasis on construction details at the expense of a more thorough presentation of the proposal’s impacts to the town.

            “It was a little bit rushed,” said Zuker, who was invited to informally discuss his plans with the Marion Planning Board at its public meeting on Tuesday night. “We made a decision as a group to do our best, a better job, at presenting the information …”

            That will at least entail finalizing sewer capacity, coming up with the infiltration and inflow (I/I) and connection fees so crucial to keeping rate payers in town.

            In March, said Zuker, there will be three informational sessions for community outreach. He suggested they be held at the Music Hall. One would be held on a weekday, one on a weeknight and the other on a Saturday.

            He said he wants to make sure the town has the correct information and “at least get the facts out there.”

            Zuker’s selling point has been market-rate housing for a variety of situations including and majoring on seniors looking to downsize and stay in Marion. His group signed a deed restriction limiting the development to his initial plan, which is far below what current zoning would allow.

            Besides size, the fundamental difference between Zuker’s project and the adjacent 40B project planned by Steen is Zuker’s development would have property owners, whereas Steen’s project is entirely rentals.

            Where Steen’s application is with the state and the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals, Zuker, should he get his desired zoning change, would formally seek a special permit before the Planning Board.

            The Town of Marion has much more vetting mechanisms in the case of a market-rate housing project.

            “We know we could go back to underlying zoning there, but we just feel that this is better for the town,” said Zuker, who has tweaked his site plan based on communication with Fire Chief Brian Jackvony.

            Planning Board member Norm Hills brought up the news that the Wareham bridge will be rebuilt. Referencing the 25 percent plan, Hills told Zuker about mixed-use lanes on both sides of the bridge and apparent plans to reroute the bike path along Route 6 instead of County Street.

            Asked about recreational uses by Planning Board member Alanna Nelson, Zuker said he is looking at possibilities including the rising interest in pickleball courts and said he would like to add some walking trails.

            Planning Board member Chris Collings estimates two years of bridge construction. “I will say on the record that your plan is excellent, and I was disappointed that it didn’t carry (at 2021 Town Meeting,)” said Collings.

            “It’s a big disadvantage without knowing what Mr. Steen’s project looks like next door,” said Planning Board member Jon Henry, who said he can better judge either when he sees “the whole enchilada.”

            “We’ve been following up on that,” said Zuker. “We’re just as interested as you are.”

            Planning Board Chairman Will Saltonstall said, “It’s going to be impossible to sell this zoning change to the public without being able to speak to the town about (both projects.)”

            Later in the meeting when faced with the ZBA’s request for comment on Steen’s many waiver requests, Saltonstall recommended the Planning Board request a site plan on the 40B project.

            Taking the opportunity to comment on the Heron Cove project in response to the ZBA’s request, Planning Board member Eileen Marum noted that the list of requested waivers includes some related to erosion damage, sedimentation and stormwater. She suggested the ZBA require a performance bond in accordance with Section 238.11a and 238.11c of the bylaws and “really pay attention to what’s going on with the water.”

            Saltonstall noted that just as the Planning Board hires out peer review at applicants’ expense, the ZBA will likely have professionals represent the town in this process. “This is not going to be a one-and-done with the Zoning Board,” he said. “Even though this isn’t our charge, I feel personally like this is a project we need to have our nose in.”

            A warrant article approving the 230-8.2 Water Protection District was passed over at last Town Meeting in 2021 after John Rockwell pointed out that the Water Protection District was not accurately portrayed on the zoning map. There is also a backlog of changes to the Zoning map that will come before voters at the Fall Town Meeting.

            The Water Protection District is exponentially larger on the updated Zoning Map. A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for March 21.

            Nelson told the board that the town’s Community Preservation Committee has continued deliberation to its Friday, March 4 meeting where the committee will vote on $650,000 in applications.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, March 7, at 7:00pm.

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

            Rochester residents could be looking at Spring Town Meeting warrant articles of $110,000 and $20,000 for feasibility studies aimed at two, potential three major construction projects that were in the cross hairs of the Rochester Public Safety Committee in its February 16 meeting with the Select Board at Town Hall.

            Both the Fire and Police departments need facilities upgrades that could develop into new or upgraded headquarters for each or combine them into one headquarters, and the attending members got an initial look at two plans to divert traffic coming from Route 105 behind instead of in front of Town Hall.

            The Fire Department, headquartered at the aged structure at the Corner of Hartley Road and Pine Street abutting Rochester Memorial School, also operates out of two other locations in town including the Highway Department building on Ryder Road.

            Rochester Police is located on Dexter Lane approximately a quarter mile from Town Hall.

            Comparative studies of similar projects in Raynham, Stoneham and Norfolk yielded a range of $85,000-$100,000, and Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar said the feasibility study could easily inflate by $10,000 due to response time.

            Construction costs depend heavily on what information is yielded by a feasibility study.

            Fire Chief Scott Weigel said a potential shift from building a fire station to a facility that would serve both Fire and Police departments would drive the construction cost from an estimated $9,000,000 to $20,000,000. “Is that the direction we’re going?” he asked, posing another alternative of $5,000,000 in fire station upgrades.

            Highway Surveyor Jeff Eldridge said a combination police-fire facility would cost $20,000,000, whereas a fire station would cost $9,000,000 and another $5,000,000 to bring police headquarters “up to what their needs are.”

            Facilities Manager Andrew Daniel weighed in, noting that the limitations on Rochester’s Police station “are getting more serious in nature. We can’t house anybody there now, Marion’s not taking anybody now and Plymouth isn’t either.”

            Town Planner Nancy Durfee advised the town against spending on the project before securing grant funding. She referenced the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant program (MVP), which support climate-change resiliency and priority projects.

            Durfee anticipates a scenario where the town procures a 75 percent grant and needs to put up a 25 percent match. Durfee told the meeting that she had just worked with Szyndlar on an engagement program and put in for a PILOT-program grant but did not get the grant. But she did get a hazard-mitigation program grant.

            “We need to create a committee to work on this … start out as feasibility and transition into a building committee,” said Select Board member Woody Hartley. “We want them to hit the ground running now.”

            Szyndlar said the Select Board can create the committee which would report back to members Chairman Brad Morse, Hartley and Paul Ciaburri.

            Hartley posed the idea of a nine- or 11-member committee that would include three public-safety officials and general-public representation. “We’re going to have to have three people from the public,” said Morse.

            Ciaburri and Eldridge both believe that the committee’s direction comes before assembling its members. “We need to find out what the scope is,” said Ciaburri. Eldridge noted that should the plan’s scope change, then it could affect committee members’ interest, especially among police officers whose facility may or may not be affected by what the committee pursues.

            “The more people you have, the harder it gets … better to have some quality than quantity,” suggested Szyndlar.

            Daniel suggested soliciting interest from townspeople who do not work for Rochester but bring relevant areas of expertise to the discussion.

            Morse suggested using the next Select Board meeting to further discuss the matter with prospective committee members and said he would talk to Police Chief Robert Small.

            Hartley said further talks would be prudent with a decision a month or two away.

            In unveiling two preliminary drawings for the rerouting of traffic away from Constitution Way, the private way that runs along the front of Town Hall and the two buildings owned by First Congregational Church before turning 90 degrees toward Plumb Corner and running past the public library, Eldridge said either plan would send traffic behind Town Hall, and all employee parking would be out back.

            The choice to be made is between two entry points 50 feet apart.

            Either option would send eastbound vehicles coming off Route 105 into a hard, right turn, thereby bringing an end to the usage of Constitution Way as a high-speed exit ramp. There is no buffer between the front steps of the buildings, and people exiting Town Hall have experienced close calls with traffic.

            Minor options include concrete or asphalt sidewalks, raised curbing or, if asphalt, a berm. The concrete raised sidewalk would be more user friendly, take more work and cost more money. Daniel noted that a raised concrete sidewalk would also be ADA compliant and called that option a “no brainer.” Either model would get rumble strips for vehicles.

            Morse said the next step would be an engineer’s drawing and a survey to “get the grades right (and) take care of all the water.”

            Eldridge advised town officials to examine the two models and formulate questions.

            If the feasibility studies carry at Spring Town Meeting, voters will be asked to decide on a proposed construction funding at a special town meeting in the fall.

            Eldridge also addressed the subject of trash. Rochester has trash and recycling and distributes stickers for residents to use Marion’s Transfer Station at the end of Benson Brook Road off Route 6.

            Morse noted that, while Marion handles household waste, Rochester lacks a place for residents to drop off items like furniture and metals.

            “I personally feel that the biggest issue in this town is trash,” said Eldridge, referencing televisions as an example. “We pay to get rid of it. We don’t charge, I refuse to take the money. … Our issue is to have a place to dispose of it. I’m not reinventing the wheel.”

            ABC does not collect such items.

            In other reports, Health Director Karen Walega said the town had 18 Covid cases and told the Select Board that Old Rochester Regional schools will lift the mask mandate on February 28.

            Weigel reported that Rochester Fire Department will receive $14,200 in grant funding earmarked for a new ambulance.

Rochester Public Safety Committee/Select Board

By Mick Colageo