Steen Gets Some, Not All Water Requested

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            Despite what is portrayed as a standing invitation to increase its water allotment from the Town of Wareham, the Rochester Water Commission voted on January 13 to increase the allocation for developer Ken Steen’s residential/commercial project at the junction of Routes 28 and 58 and County Road to 46,000 gallons per day.

            The Rochester Board of Selectmen and the Water Commission held a joint meeting to respond to Steen’s request for 50,000 gallons; however, the approved volume fell short by 4,000 gallons.

            Fred Underhill, the chairman of the Rochester Water Commission, was able to preside over the meeting despite informing its participants that he had tested positive for COVID-19 over the holidays.

            Phil Cordeiro of Allen & Major, the engineering firm representing Steen, presented the developer’s case. Referencing an August 2019 request for 44,880 gallons of water per day, Cordeiro said they are now in a much better position to assess their needs and, as of September 2020, had determined a need for 49,846 gallons per day.

            A December 15, 2020 letter requested the increase that Steen says is needed to service the 208 residential units and clubhouse development plus retail. After several public hearings before the Planning Board and Conservation Commission, the project is set to seek financing.

            “We need to be able to assure them we have water,” said Cordeiro. “Lenders, the first questions they always ask, ‘Do you have sewer? Do you have water?'”

            Under the recrafted inter-municipal agreement (IMA) dated September 21, 2020, Rochester sought and received an additional 5,000 gallons per day from Wareham. “We understand we are asking to use the entire capacity under the IMA, but the IMA was borne out of this development,” said Cordeiro.

            Underhill said Rochester had received notification indicating that Wareham is “okay with whatever we decide to do.”

            Commission member Mike Conway asked if 50,000 gallons per day will meet the DPA requirements. Cordeiro confirmed that it would, further clarifying that Steen’s request was, in fact, based upon Massachusetts DEP recommendations. “Practical usage runs at about 60 percent of that (planned) usage,” he said. “The actual draw off the system will be substantially less than the 50,000 (gallons per day) we’re asking for this evening.”

            Commission member Rick Charon expressed concern that the requested allocation would close the door on any other developer who might come in. “If we had more capacity promised to us by the Town of Wareham, whether it’s used or not, we’d have the capacity to make that decision and not be [subject to undesirable ramifications],” he explained.

            Underhill added concern for County Road residents who might wish to tie in, but Selectman Brad Morse said the IMA does not refer to County Road. Town Counsel Blair Bailey confirmed Morse’s assertion, clarifying that the IMA applies to the service area in that vicinity, but not including County Road properties. Zero Waste Solutions recycling facility and the Seasons gas station are also in the area, and discussion about an IMA applying to those properties ensued.

            “That has been part of the conversation with the water district,” said Bailey. “We did start out with the goal of incorporating everybody that was serviced … but we thought it best that we have this IMA for this particular area.”

            Bailey said he had no concerns allocating the full amount for the residential usage but asked Cordeiro and Steen when they would know actual usage. Steen said residential design flow won’t change but could potentially change for commercial development on the site, noting the vast consumption difference for a restaurant instead of a bank. “What we’ve done is request the maximum amount for the worst-case scenario,” said Steen, citing the financing process. Steen figures he will know how to predict actual usage within 24 months.

            Morse said that the Town of Wareham has made it clear they have plenty of water to supply. Charon asked why not increase the IMA to 60,000 gallons per day. Bailey said Wareham’s position was, “When you need it, just come back and ask for it.”

            Ownership of the water lines was also discussed.

            Rochester resident David Arancio, who is also chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals, said Wareham had expressed a desire to increase its water allocation to Rochester. If Wareham was willing to extend the memorandum of understanding to increase the allocation, the applicant (Steen) could use that document in negotiation with lenders.

            Charon approved of the original 45,000-gallon request, but not the last 5,000 requested. Board of Selectmen Chairman Paul Ciaburri expressed concern over losing out on the development in favor of a 40B affordable housing complex where the town could lose its authority.

            Steen indicated he would consult with his attorney. “It is problematic not to have the entire allocation to service the entire site,” he said. “I know it’s going to be an issue with any lenders we talk to getting involved with the site.”

            Bailey floated the idea of Rochester pledging to allocate according to need but not with a specific number. Steen replied, “If we don’t get the allocation as requested, I’d have Phil look into the question of do we have the capacity to install wells.”

            Charon said that an allocation of 46,000 gallons per day “should suffice” to develop a commercial pad site and made a motion. Conway seconded Charon’s motion, and Underhill, Conway, and Charon all voted to increase Steen’s allocation to 46,000.

            Selectman Woody Hartley said, “We should put some skin into this game; I would hate to miss out on a project. We should move ahead and talk about it in a selectmen’s meeting.”

            In other business, Charon said, “I think Freetown did us a favor” in voting against joining the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical school district. Even without Freetown students, he said, Old Colony is forced by its limitations to turn down “half the kids who apply.” He said the district might need to look at Middleboro or New Bedford as water sources.

            As for the IMA for water with Wareham, Underhill will get back to Bailey on potentially asking Wareham for more water.

            The water commission voted to make their FY22 operating budget $1,000, the same as FY21. Whatever isn’t used goes back into the general fund. Charon reported to the commissioners on the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District Committee and Commission’s monthly meeting, the latter of which is considering a massive upgrade to its water treatment facility. Marion is about to start work on the east and west well and pumping station on Mary’s Pond Road. The Water commission also voted to approve the minutes for the December 9 and October 14 meetings.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Water Commission is scheduled for February 10, at 7:00 pm.

Rochester Board of Selectmen/Water Commission

By Mick Colageo

Sippican Historical Society Speaker Series

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The Sippican Historical Society Speaker Series continues on Thursday, January 21, at 7:00 pm with a presentation called “Women’s Clothing in WWI: A Turning Point” (via Zoom). Clothing was one of the many things permanently changed by WWI. After all, only six years transpired between the corseted Edwardian period and the appearance of the notorious “flapper style.” But how? Why? Come hear textile expert Abigail Field explain.

            To register and receive a link for the Zoom presentation, please contact us at info@sippicanhistoricalsociety.org. The Speaker Series is free of charge, but donations are greatly appreciated and help us continue to offer interesting speakers throughout the year. Donations may be made via PayPal on our website, sippicanhistoricalsociety.org/presentations-lectures-interviews.

Marion Waste Water (part 2)

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The following is the second part of a Letter to the Editor from John Waterman; the first part is available in the January 14, 2021 edition:

            Other Sources of Revenue: Almost two years ago, Mr. Rasmussen first suggested to us the idea of subsidizing the operation of our wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) through general tax revenues. At that time, he mentioned Falmouth as an example. We looked into what Falmouth was financing with general tax revenues and we considered this approach. Now, he mentions Chatham. There, however, is no free pot of money; at least Marion doesn’t have one. The real question is, who pays? Does the entire town of Marion pay to run our WWTP, or only residents connected to the sewer pay? What is fair?

            After looking at Falmouth we concluded, in order to justify the use of general tax revenues to finance our WWTP, we would need to be able to demonstrate a broad benefit to the community. In our opinion, the current upgrades to the WWTP do not meet that test. On the other hand, we sought and received voter approval to pay for the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) through an override to raise general tax revenues. The CWMP is a 20-year roadmap for managing wastewater for our entire community, including identifying and prioritizing areas to extend the sewer. This was easy to justify as benefiting the entire community.

            But there are other issues. Not only are our sewer fees high, but our real estate taxes are high due to our small tax base. There also are considerations, such as the non-profits in Town. They pay sewer fees, but they don’t pay general taxes.

            Chatham is building a new wastewater treatment plant with the intention to sewer much of the town. A new plant with plans to sewer much of the town easily would meet our test of providing broad community benefit. There also is talk of connecting Harwich Port into the new plant, which would provide broader based support for the cost of the plant. Chatham has a much larger tax base, therefor more room to raise taxes. Using the most current state numbers available online, the assessed value of Chatham’s real estate is $7.9 billion, its population is 6,160, the average real estate tax per household is $4,842, and per capita income is $53,719.

            How does that compare with Marion? The assessed value of Marion’s real estate is only $1.9 billion, its population is 5,143, the average real estate tax per household is $7,371, and per capita income is $54,984.

            Chatham’s tax base is more than four times Marion’s, but its population is only about 20% bigger. With about the same average income as Marion, the average household in Chatham pays 34% less in real estate taxes. Thus, Chatham has many more degrees of freedom than Marion to raise money off its general tax base.

            In Marion, 93% of the tax burden falls on the residential taxpayers, who make up only 37% of the Town’s land use. Marion lacks any meaningful commercial/industrial base. Marion’s tax problem is aggravated by the fact that 34% of the land area is permanently conserved and pays no taxes. The recent purchase of the Hoff property and BBC accepting ownership of three prime building lots on Point Road only make the problem worse. We continue to shrink our tax base, further increasing the burden on our residential taxpayers.

            Mr. Rasmussen also points to the Sandwich Water Infrastructure Investment Fund. That Town implemented a 2% property tax surcharge for this fund. In order to sell it to voters, it reduced the property tax surcharge collected under the Community Preservation Act (CPA) from 3% to 2%, so the net increase to voters was only 1%. Sandwich’s 2% surcharge for its Infrastructure Fund, in our view, is just a tax increase under another name. All it does is lock in funds for a specific purpose, giving the voters less control over this spending in the future. It is not found money.

            Marion’s CPA property tax surcharge is only 2%, not 3%. Every year we have people lining up requesting funds for a wide range of projects beneficial to the town. Many of these projects would not get funding without CPA funds. If available CPA funds were reduced, we would have to find other sources of funding for projects, such as redoing the exterior of the Town House, which was funded with CPA funds (and some generous help from the Sippican Historical Society). The need for CPA funded projects would not go away. Using CPA funds to subsidize the improvements to the wastewater treatment plant would crowd out other important projects and would not give the town a new source of revenue.

            Non-profits such as Tabor and, yes, the BBC, pay sewer and water fees. They do not pay real estate taxes. Shifting part of the cost burden of our WWTP from the Sewer Enterprise Fund to general tax revenues lets these non-profits off the hook. There is real money at stake here. For FY 2019, the last full fiscal year we have numbers for, Tabor paid over $430,000 in sewer and water fees. Using general tax revenues to subsidize the Sewer Enterprise Fund effectively would be giving non-profits such as Tabor and BBC a discount on their sewer and water bills at the expense of the Marion taxpayers.

            Needed Support from the BBC: We have not been sitting on our hands. We previously considered all of Mr. Rasmussen’s suggestions. All his ideas simply having us looking in different pockets for the money when, ultimately, the money comes from the same taxpayers, whose real estate taxes, and sewer and water fees, are already too high. This is why Marion desperately needs outside funding— either grants or state funding— to help mitigate the cost of these upgrades to the WWTP.

            Over the past several years, we asked BBC for help in obtaining grant funding and state financial support. They have not helped to date. In addition, we asked them whether it made sense to consider regionalizing the Marion WWTP, for example, to tie-in Rochester and parts of Mattapoisett and Wareham. (Among many reasons, it would be much less expensive to extend Marion’s current outfall, which surfaces in a brook short of Aucoot Cove, out into Buzzards Bay than for Wareham to build a new outfall from their plant to the canal.) BBC, to our knowledge, has not followed up on this idea. We need BBC to be a partner with Marion and not an adversary.

            Towns such as Marion already have regulators— the EPA and DEP. It seriously complicates any negotiations Marion might have with the DEP and EPA when BBC interjects itself into the negotiations, sues it, and then attempts to impose its own regulations and deadlines on the town. This is what happened to Marion. BBC, as a non-profit, is supported by the residents of the communities on Buzzards Bay and exists to serve and support them, not to sue them. We would hope the Board of the BBC would back us on this point going forward.

John P. Waterman, Marion Selectman

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

Robert R. Dion

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Robert R. Dion, age 87, died on Saturday January 16, 2021, surrounded by his loving family at his residence in Scarborough, Maine. He was the husband of Elizabeth A. (Drolet) Dion.

            Mr. Dion was born in Worcester, MA. He graduated from St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, MA, and he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design. He served in the Navy on active duty from 1957 to 1962 and retired as a Lieutenant Commander. Mr. Dion opened his Architectural firm in Sudbury MA in 1965 and continued his business until he retired in 2013. During his career he designed many places of worship, private residences, condominiums, restaurants, professional offices, and commercial buildings. Architecture was his passion. He especially enjoyed meeting with parish council members to discuss their needs and preferences for the design of their parish hall or church. Later in his career he enjoyed the newly flourishing development of green design concepts in architecture. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Boston Society of Architects. He served on the Salvation Army Advisory Board and on many town boards and Historical Commissions.

            Mr. Dion loved sailing and sailboat maintenance. He spent many memorable summers cruising New England waters with his wife and children. He also loved fishing in Buzzards Bay and the peacefulness of quahogging with friends and family in Sippican Harbor. He could be found during many winter weekends doing personal woodworking projects at home.

            Mr. Dion was the son of the late Dr. Alfred J. and Yvonne B. (Roberts) Dion of Worcester, MA. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth A. (Drolet) Dion, a son, David R. Dion and his wife Ellen O. Dion of Marion, MA, and two daughters, Dr. Carol A. Dean and her husband Dr. Bill Swartz of Cumberland Foreside, ME, and Martha E. Plumb and her husband J. Hudson Plumb IV of Medfield and Marion MA. He had seven wonderful grandchildren and one set of twin great grandchildren all of whom he loved and enjoyed beyond measure. He will be dearly missed.

            A private funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Mattapoisett. Memorial contributions may be made to The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Rita’s Church, P.O. Box 902, Marion, MA, 02738. Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Koch Presents Pitches Puron MP Technology

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            The Mattapoisett River Valley Water District Commission doesn’t need any more convincing that replacing its aging and practically obsolete Targa II water-treating system with a brand new, state-of-the-art Puron MP system is the way to go. The challenge is purely financial.

            Koch Separation Solutions, the company that would either install new Puron MP technology or for a limited time provide parts to extend the life of the current system, had presented in November 2019. But with several new members on the MRV Water District Commission and many discussions that have nibbled at the edges of the core issue, a refresher presentation was considered to be appropriate.

            That took place during the January 12 Zoom meeting of the commission. Representing Koch, Melanie Blake explained some of the advantages of the Puron MP system.

            With 81-by-8-inch cartridges and at 10 feet tall as opposed to 14.5, the Puron MP system takes up a smaller footprint than the present Targa II. Puron’s good polymer chemistry assures removals, and its one-end potting design avoids sludging and sedimentation.

            The Puron system has been approved in California and Texas for drinking water but not yet in Massachusetts. “When we take over the pilot, we have no concerns over it being accepted,” said Blake.

            Inputs and outputs on the Puron MP system come completely assembled, and there are no pneumatics or electronics on the rack portion. “It makes it easier; it can fit through a loading-bay door,” said Blake. Energy savings are expected to improve with Puron’s blower rather than the circulation pump used by Targa II.

            The MRV got 10 years of life from its Targa II system, exceeding projections, but Blake expects Puron MP to last longer than that.

            A question from Mattapoisett-based commission member Paul Silva yielded an interesting discussion on a facility in Texas, the only US-based facility with the Puron MP technology that is producing drinking water. That facility is also a Targa II retrofit, running both systems at the same time since 2016. The systems share ancillary aspects such as backflush. “We went in with that design intent and modified the controls to make that happen,” said Blake.

            “We would have a similar situation,” said Jon Gregory of Tata & Howard. “The district can’t just get rid of all the existing skids at once. It would be a phased approach.” Gregory estimates that the new and old systems would have to run concurrently for several months at a minimum. Targa II was running in the Texas location for a comparable amount of time it has been running in Mattapoisett.

            Another motivation for a new Puron MP system is Koch’s plan to phase out Targa II cartridge replacement this year. Jack Cangiano, also representing Koch, said Targa cartridges would be made through June, and the company will decide if it will continue to order Targa II membrane.

            A piloting program could land an abbreviated version of the unit in Mattapoisett by next month. The Puron MP unit would conduct testing for a month, pending state Department of Environmental Protection Agency approval. Blake explained that with state approval, the pilot equipment could conduct a four-week test and submission of a report to the state for approval for the site.

            It will be a fully self-contained unit, fully automated with a 2-inch hose pushing 20 gallons per minute from the current existing feed water that will ultimately go to the drain because it has not been approved for usage. The unit would arrive in a small box truck and would be set up at the facility.

            State representatives are not required to visit by statute but might out of curiosity. Gregory referenced a state visit to a Barnstable County facility that drew a visit.

            “We know the technology will work,” said Paul Howard of Tata & Howard. “It’s going to remove; we know that. It can’t not remove it, you just have to prove it.”

            Cangiano said that the fiber used in Puron MP technology is much more rugged, durable. Blake added that the fiber for Puron MP is also used in other technologies, so “the fiber is not going anywhere.”

            Gregory noted that Texas doesn’t have the iron and manganese in its water that Massachusetts has.

            Silva shifted the conversation to the $15 million spent on the existing plant, noting that in five years, a $13.5 million block of debt will be paid, “relieving a tremendous amount of burden on the taxpayers.” In 2027, he said, another $2 million comes off the books. Trying to figure out how to phase into this Puron MP project without burdening the towns’ taxpayers is “work that we absolutely need to do before we make any kind of commitment to go to Town Meeting.”

            Chairman Vincent Furtado, Fairhaven, said the MRV has to go to the Puron MP system eventually, comparing the situation to the pump stations in town. “There’s no parts anymore. Cost-benefit analysis, we’ll have to do,” he said.

            “Looking at the debt end of it, how do we accomplish what we want to do without increasing that debt today?” asked Silva. “I don’t think we’ve put enough time and energy into that is what I’m getting at.”

            Vinnie Furtado agreed.

            Commission member Henri Renauld noted that, while in 12 years the Targa II system has never blown a cartridge and the MRV has never bought one, a band-aid approach would saddle the MRV with $594,000 in cartridges to replace eventually. Acquiring other parts has become a grave concern. “I can’t even find some of the stuff on eBay…. It’s a limp-along program. Any investment in Targa is going to be made in stuff that’s no longer going to be made,” said Renauld. “We’ve got to nail down the cost stuff and see what’s the best way to borrow…. It’s going to cost more money in the long run, even though we may save more money in the beginning.”

            Silva noted that his term expires in three months, so the commission will need to identify a member to take over his financial advocacy.

            Commission member Rick Charron said a refinancing idea is the best sell at Town Meeting, and Silva added that four towns have to approve, including one (Marion) that isn’t happy with its sewer rate.

            Marion member Randy Parker said, “I think you’ve got to come up with a total cost.”

            The commission voted to initiate plans for the pilot test as a means of being better equipped to tackle the financial question.

            Silva then suggested a conference call with Unibank, including Treasurer Meghan Davis and Furtado, who summarized the effort being, “Here’s what we’re thinking of doing … adding another $4 million to the loan.”

            Silva left the meeting to prepare for Tuesday night’s Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen meeting due to start in 40 minutes.

            In her Treasurer’s Report, Davis reported an invoice total of $160,278.39, including $44,994.73 from Mattapoisett for second-quarter billing, a final invoice from Fall River Electric for $16,840.90 for the MRV Primaries Project, a $23,109 invoice from Eversource, $6,239.60 from Tata & Howard, and maintenance totaling $8,509.66.

            Davis said she plans to finalize the FY22 budget and send it out this week to each of the MRV towns.

            Silva asked for the total cost to put utility lines underground, and Gregory’s estimates were broken down to Tata & Howard’s project fee of $124,000 and the contract sum of $336,818 for an estimated total of $416,000. “Always good to come under,” said Silva, who spearheaded the financial discussion that followed Koch’s presentation.

            In other business, the commission approved Gregory’s 2020 Tata & Howard report and Henri Renauld’s monthly Treatment Plant report, the latter recording 686,806,000 gallons of water produced through the MRV.

            The first half-hour of Tuesday’s Zoom was dedicated to the MRV Water Safety Protection Advisory Committee.

            In the Treasurer’s Report presented by Jeff Furtado and approved by the committee, invoices included $4,929 from Tata & Howard, $50 from Blair Bailey, $170 from Megan McCarthy, and $252.09 from Dave Watling. The ending balance was $185,601.50. Payments to date are $24,765.11, and income as of January 1 is $24,352.81.

            Farinon and Gregory discussed charting reports on water levels and agreed to discuss in the committee’s February meeting when data for the entire year would be available.

            New invoices were approved to pay in invoices $651.97 to Tata & Howard, $102 for graphs to McCarthy, and $252.09 for services to Watling.

            The advisory committee also voted to approve a letter to be written by Vinnie Furtado on behalf of the committee endorsing the redrawing of lot lines in Rochester related to Approval Not Required applications to the Zoning Board of Appeals for properties at 246 and 268 New Bedford Road in Rochester.

            The committee’s Levelogger equipment is wearing out. According to Gregory, a plastic-threaded adapter worth $75 needs replacement. Also, the data grabber that Rochester Herring Inspector David Watling uses to work in the field has been in use for many years. Gregory suggested a $360 investment in a backup data grabber and two of the Leveloggers. The advisory committee endorsed Tata & Howard’s purchase as recommended by Gregory.

            In her report to the committee, Farinon alluded to several projects in 2020. She said that the subcommittee that was organized to tackle several issues, including the phragmites at Snipatuit Pond, determined the phragmites to be too extensive a problem. “It’s really beyond our scope…. We took a break for now,” she told the committee.

            The advisory committee discussed the departure of Mark Rees of Fairhaven but did not make immediate plans to replace him. The committee voted to approve Farinon’s report.

            The next meeting of the MRV Water committee and commission is scheduled for February 9 at 3:30 pm and 4:00 pm, respectively.

MRV Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee/District Commission

By Mick Colageo

Peter R. Prewitt

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Peter R. Prewitt passed to eternal rest on Saturday, January 9, 2021. During his struggle with dementia, his family and friends want to thank the staff of Hartford Health Care for their outstanding help as well as the staff of Caleb Hitchcock.

            Peter was born May 23, 1942 to Elisabeth Sterling Rockafellow and William Howard Prewitt in Morristown, NJ. He grew up in Marion, MA attending Wareham High School. Later he attended and played football for Boston University. In his younger years, he was a New England Champion in tennis.

            He was married for 48 years to Kathleen Prewitt, living in West Simsbury, CT. He is also survived by his son, Timothy Prewitt, his wife Elaine, and grandson Charlie, who was the light of his life. He also leaves a sister, Suzanne Peterson of Marion, MA and many nieces and nephews.

            He spent his working career with Golden Press, a division of Western Publishing Company. Through many corporate mergers, this division was eventually purchased by Random House. He won Salesman of the Year three times. In addition, he was granted several honorary awards for outstanding sales performance. Once retired, he became an avid golfer playing with his golf groups when time allowed. He enjoyed many years of skiing and enjoying winter sports in Vermont. He became a fund raiser for Ohio Wesleyan, the university his son Timothy attended. He was also very active in the Simsbury ABC House for several years, serving as head of maintenance.

            A private Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Catherine of Siena Church followed by burial in Simsbury Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the Simsbury A Better Chance Program (ABC House) P.O. Box 542, Simsbury, CT 06070.

            The Vincent Funeral Home of Simsbury, CT is caring for the arrangements. Please visit Peter’s “Book of Memories” at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online tributes.

Tri-Town Part of Final Legislative Transportation Bond Bill

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            The Massachusetts legislature concluded its two-year session with the passage of a transportation bond bill on January 5. The transportation measure authorizes $16.5 billion in road and bridge projects around the entire state over the next 10 years. Rep. Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisett), House co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, was one of six House-Senate conferees who negotiated the final terms of the new legislation now awaiting Governor Baker’s signature.

            The final legislation authorized MassDOT to expend funds on a number of local Tri-Town projects, including $500,000 for improvements at the North Street intersection with Route 195 in Mattapoisett; $725,000 for new traffic lights and signals on Route 6 in front of Mattapoisett’s police and fire stations; $400,000 for improvements at the intersection of Route 6 and Spring Street in Marion; $1,350,000 for the development of shared-use paths in Marion and Wareham, and $1 million for improvements on Bridge Street in Fairhaven.

            “After extensive negotiations, I am pleased that the House and Senate were able to reach an agreement on a comprehensive transportation bill that not only allows the state to continue to focus on its state of good repair needs, but will authorize funding for other major local projects such as the completion of South Coast Rail ($825 million), which is already under construction to New Bedford and Fall River, and the initial design and permitting of a replacement for the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge on Route 6,” said Rep. Straus.

            The legislature also enacted an important local Mattapoisett bill filed by Rep. Straus, at the town’s request, that would permit the town to properly assess commercial solar installations as taxable property. The bill had been passed by the House last February and was taken up by the State Senate in the final days of the two-year session for the legislature. Proper assessment of commercial solar panels will be fair to Mattapoisett and the reason this legislation was approved by Town Meeting prior to submission to the bill in the Legislature by Rep. Straus.

            With further regard to the Mattapoisett Solar legislation, Kathleen Costello, the Town’s property assessing administrator, noted, “The bill provides a streamlined way to verify energy producing capacity in town-located solar arrays, and promotes fair and equitable taxation of those commercial properties.” She added, “I and the town very much appreciate the efforts of Rep. Straus to get this long-needed legislation passed for Mattapoisett.”

Steen Allowed Six Weeks of Extra Hours

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            In its first meeting of the year, the Rochester Planning Board addressed the finer details surrounding the Cranberry Highway Development Project’s draft decision. The draft review involved discussing disputed additions to the plan put forth by both the applicant and the Planning Board.

            Over the holidays, Ken Steen, the project’s applicant, requested additional water use for the development and further changes surrounding construction guidelines on the site. These changes led to the Planning Board calling to reopen the public hearing on the proposal. Though the reopening of the hearing will lead to a delay in the project, it is required to allow the Planning Board sufficient time to address any draft decision amendments.

            Steen came before the Planning Board to advocate for an increase in the hours of operation for construction on the site. Initially, the normal operation would be limited to 7:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays. Steen proposed a change to allow work to begin at 7:00 am on Saturdays. In addition, Steen hoped to allow the operation of heavy equipment, typically limited from Monday through Friday, to take place on Saturday as well.

            The Planning Board expressed general concerns with the proposed extended hours of operation. Most concerns related to the use of heavy equipment on Saturday. Chairman Arnold Johnson explained that, despite the limited abutters to the property, it could still create a noise problem for neighbors to the site early in the morning and on the weekends. Johnson voiced his position that allowing these drastic changes to the hours of the operation would limit Planning Board control over the site in the future. This could be problematic if the noise becomes a disturbance to abutters.

            Steen explained that the increased hours of operation are necessary due to the size of the development. Ultimately, for Steen, allowing work on Saturdays would lead to a decrease in the total amount of time required on the site. This would lead to a reduction in noise pollution caused by construction in the long term.

            Seeking a compromise, the Planning Board agreed to allow increases to the hours of operation and the use of heavy equipment for six weeks from the beginning of work on the site. The Planning Board will follow the interaction of the increased construction with abutters and determine if the increased hours of operation can continue based on the six-week trial period.

            Steen also sought to increase water consumption at the construction site, but Rochester Town Counsel Blair Bailey argued that the inclusion of specific figures would demand that the applicant come before the Planning Board any time an increase of water consumption is sought. Bailey also explained that public water supply figures fall under the jurisdiction of Rochester Board of Selectman and the Wareham Water District.

            Johnson expressed the view that the figures need to be included due to a waiver that the Planning Board previously granted relating to stormwater mounding figures. If the consumption figures exceed the stormwater mounding figures that the board approved, then the decision of multiple town bodies would conflict.

            The Planning Board decided to leave the provisions relating to water consumption figures in the draft decision until the board can get the opinion of peer-review consultant Field Engineering.

            The draft decision for the Cranberry Highway Development will continue to be reviewed going into the Planning Board’s next meeting to allow Steen and the board an opportunity to discuss disputed points with their respective consultants. The final draft of the decision will be discussed during the next Planning Board meeting.

            The Planning Board moved to discuss a contentious, new solar project proposed by Cushman Road Solar. The new project would involve the construction of a roughly 15-acre, 4-megawatt ground-mounted solar array.

            Eric Las of Beals and Thomas, Inc., representing the project, explained the proposed plans for the site but is facing significant pushback from the site’s abutters. The concerns are primarily related to an access road required to reach the proposed area where the solar array will be constructed.

            The access road, as proposed, would be constructed using an existing road that acts as a driveway for three abutting properties. In addition, the expansion of the existing road would bisect the three residential properties. Abutters raised concerns related to safety and the construction of the array so close to their own homes.

            One abutter, Lisa Mann, joined the meeting to explain that the applicant’s ability to use this access road is still under legal dispute. Mann told board members that she would be drastically affected if the work were to go forward, as the entrance to the proposed access road is currently the driveway on her property. Johnson explained that the project is still in the early planning stages and that the Planning Board would closely follow the abutters’ concerns as the public hearing goes forward.

            The next Rochester Planning Board meeting is scheduled for January 26, and all future Planning Board meetings are limited to online access for the public via Zoom until further notice.

Rochester Planning Board

By Matthew Donato

“Bikes for All” Kicks off Call for Donations

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We are thrilled that the long-awaited Mattapoisett Rail Trail connection to Depot Street is opening this spring. To celebrate, MATTREC and the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bicycle and Recreational Path (the Friends) have teamed up to ensure that every Mattapoisett resident/family has an opportunity to fully enjoy it. This new initiative is called Bikes for All. We are asking for donations of gently used bicycles, to be given to any town resident of any age who needs a bike. Children’s sizes with training wheels to adult 26-inch bikes— all sizes can be donated or exchanged.

            The Friends are working closely with our town officials to build a safe and welcoming bike path. Many of us are also walkers and runners and are excited that this spectacular new mile of the bike path will connect Mattapoisett village to Fairhaven center and beyond.

            So, take a look in the corners of your garage and basement… Is there a bike that is no longer being used by your family, or a child’s bike that has been outgrown? If so, dust it off and call Jane at MATTREC at 508-758-4548 for pickup.

            In this era of increased demand, higher prices, and waiting lists for new bicycles, recycling well cared for bikes here in Mattapoisett is one way to make the Mattapoisett Rail Trail accessible to all!

            If you would like to make a donation for the Friends to purchase or repair bicycles, please feel free to send it to: Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path, P.O. Box 1336, Mattapoisett, MA 02739. Please note that your contribution is for “Bikes for All.”

            The Friends is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, so contributions to the Friends for Bikes for Kids are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The Friends will apply 100 percent of contributions toward the bicycles.

            Contacts: Jane Finnerty, 508-758-4548, jane.mattrail@gmail.com; Liz DiCarlo, 508-942-9343, lizdicarlo@comcast.net. Visit the website at mattapoisettrailtrail.org.

Kenneth J. “Kenny” Rea

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Kenneth J. “Kenny” Rea, age 45 of Rochester, passed away, Friday, January 15, 2021 in Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

            Born in Fall River, a son of Judy Simpson and her husband John of Rochester and Kenneth Rea and his wife Julie of Florida, Kenny was a lifelong resident of Rochester. He was a graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School and later received his Associates degree from Bristol Community College. He was formerly employed by P&J Rental.

            Kenny loved his family dearly; he enjoyed his early morning calls with his childhood and lifelong best friend Greg Weigel. Kenny was an avid NASCAR enthusiast; he enjoyed fishing, playing the Guitar, collecting baseball cards. He was also an avid Eagles fan. Kenny was a proud Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout. In addition to his parents, he is survived by a sister Melissa Longuemaire of New Bedford; a brother, Jonathan Simpson of Rochester; his grandmother, Irene Champagne of Tiverton; his uncle, Jimmy Champagne of Maryland; his cousin Amy Baker of FL; uncle Jimmy and Dot Pires; cousin Sharon Pires and his best friend Greg Weigel of Rochester. He was the grandson of the late Kenneth and Yvette Rea and Marcel and Jeanne Champagne and his aunt Darlene Rea.

            Kenny’s visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm in the Rock Funeral Home, 1285 Ashley Blvd., New Bedford, MA 02745. Relatives and friends are invited. A funeral service will be held at 6:00 pm. Burial is private. Due to the current restriction regarding the Covid-19 Pandemic, face masking and social distancing will be required. To leave a note of condolence: www.rock-funeralhome.com