Reconfiguration of a driveway’s connection to Route 6 is in the works, and that invariably draws an extra dimension of scrutiny from municipal vetting boards because anything Route 6 related, especially residential, must be examined in the dynamic context of an old highway that itself is the subject of plans for a massive overhaul in design and infrastructure.

            In a public hearing held Tuesday night, the Marion Lands Trust’s application for a special permit to construct a common driveway to serve two lots at 371 Wareham Street was unanimously approved by the Marion Planning Board.

            As prescribed by Planning Board Chairman Will Saltonstall and voted 6-0 in favor, a decision letter to be finalized midweek will state that the applicant meets the criteria of Section 230-8.9, F1.6 and will fulfill three special conditions: The applicant must seek a curb-cut approval with state Department of Transportation; prior to construction, the applicant must submit a common-driveway maintenance plan for the board’s approval; and the applicant must submit all documents for water and sewer connections.

            The applicant’s representative, Matt Leone of engineering firm Schneider, Davignon and Leone, Inc., explained that the special permit sought on January 18 applies solely to a new driveway that will be shared by the two lots directly behind 369 Wareham Street which consists of an office and apartments.

            The present design allows the residents of 371 Wareham Street to drive through the 369 Wareham Street parking lot to access the property out back. An Approval Not Required (ANR) application will divide the back lot (371) into two lots. The parking lot connection will be blocked, and the two back lots, both single-family dwellings, will share a separate driveway to their residences.

            Planning Board member Chris Collings asked Leone if a fire truck can turn around at the third residence and if the Fire Department is satisfied with the T-shaped, hammerhead turnaround.

            Saltonstall clarified that subdivision rules do not apply to a common driveway, but Fire Chief Brian Jackvony had no comment on the application. Leone reminded the board that only the shared portion of the new driveway was being considered for the special permit and that further plans would develop and return to the Planning Board for their approval.

            “That may not be part of the requirement, but I would think you’d want to be able to get a fire truck close,” said Collings.

            Leone acknowledged the concerned and emphasized that the plans as seen around the shared segment of the driveway were “purely conceptual. … What you see will be required to go back to more permitting (and more adjustments,” Leone explained. “The owner of Lot 2A will be responsible for all the construction, development and maintenance of that driveway.”

            Member Eileen Marum was concerned if a gravel driveway would be solid enough for a fire truck or should the wheels of a large vehicle leave that surface, how the surrounding ground would handle the weight.

            Marum also asked about the condition of a culvert shown on the plan. Leone said the culvert is functioning but has been proposed for replacement, according to Dave Davignon’s construction plans.

            An apparent typo in Davignon’s narrative using the letters HMO became a topic of discussion because, as Marum pointed out to the board, the letters theoretically could be mistaken as an abbreviation for “House and Multiple Occupation,” which refers to a scenario in which few to several unrelated people share a house. “If this is going to be a rooming house, we should know,” she said.

            Leone insisted and property owner David Croll jumped into the fray to confirm that what was intended should have indicated “homeowners association” and as member Norm Hills pointed out, made contextual sense because the subject at hand was the responsibility of shared-driveway maintenance between two separate homeowners.

            As the argument dragged on, Hills asked Croll if he considers approval critical at this meeting. Croll answered, “It’s pretty important Norm.”

            Croll promised Marum she would have clarification on the “HMO” typo in the presentation by Wednesday. The board voted unanimously (6-0) to grant the special permit.

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

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

            The emphasis of the update provided by Kent Nichols of Weston & Sampson to the Marion Select Board on the Front Street Pumping Station is seeking solutions within the confines of available funding programs.

            As the town pours over its expensive infrastructural challenges, Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting became an occasion to hear from Nichols and from the Department of Public Works, Meghan Davis and Nathaniel Munafo.

            Nichols said that the update follows up on Marion’s Creek Road pumping station, having landed a grant for the Front Street pumping station from Coastal Zone Management.

            The sewer station built in 1970 and upgraded in 2004 sits on the Tabor Academy campus. It is the largest sewer station in town and being 500 feet from shore is extremely vulnerable to coastal flooding that results from coastal storms.

            Nichols told the Select Board members that the big challenge is providing a much-needed bypass, without which failure at the final point of confluence for all town sewage flows could cripple the town.

            Although elevated, said Nichols, the Front Street station would not withstand new flood projections as a 100-year storm would raise water 16.6 feet, well beyond what the 8-foot ground elevation is built to handle.

            Crucial to the station’s future is a permanent bypass connection that in the case of a catastrophic event would allow town sewer to run from the force main. Marion does not have the portable pumps. The goal, said Nichols, is to reduce the risk of failure by replacing the force main’s inoperable valve.

            The project schedule presented includes: Phase 1 and future Phase 2 preliminary design from November 2021 to December 2021; Phase 1 final design in January 2022; bidding of Phase 1 construction contract from February 2022 to March 2022; construction of Phase 1 from March 2022 to June 2022; and project completion in June 2022.

            Select Board Chairman Norm Hills asked how long must the system be down in order to cut in a replacement valve. Kent said that safely, it would be down between four and six hours.

            A grant from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management is funding 75 percent of the project with Marion matching 25 percent.

            Munafo credited Weston & Sampson for being ahead of its schedule.

            In a 6:30 pm appointment, the Select Board voted to approve Harbormaster Isaac Perry’s request for a change in the Waterways Regulations under No. 7 to add “existing commercial permits may be transferred to marine businesses with the approval of the harbormaster.”

            According to Perry, the proposed changes to the commercial mooring regulations is “very simply, housekeeping.” Perry told the board that this is how commercial permits have been handled since the inception of regulations in 1984.

            In a 6:15 pm appointment, the Select Board voted to approve Police Chief Richard Nighelli’s promotion of Jeffrey Habicht as a full-time police lieutenant, Connor Flynn as a full-time patrol officer, and Sergeant Sean Day and Sergeant Larry Savery as full-time sergeants. Nighelli told the board that Habicht has been instrumental in guiding the department through police reform.

            The board also approved the appointment of Paul J. St. Don to the Cemetery Commission. The other two members are Chairperson Margie Baldwin and Helen Hills.

            In his Town Administrator’s Report, McGrail updated the board on the annual Town Meeting timeline: the deadline for warrant articles is Tuesday, March 15; the warrant will be closed on April 5, sent to the printer and posted on April 6, and finally mailed to residents on April 20. Town Meeting is scheduled for May 9.

            While forecasting that open house and Town Meeting preview dates will be available at the February 1 Select Board meeting, McGrail noted that developer Matt Zuker gave Marion the go-ahead to spend the rest of the $50,000 he funded in relation to the planned residential development for which he sought a zoning change last year to be voted down at Town Meeting.

            Due to concerns over speeding in Marion village, McGrail has formed a traffic-advisory group including himself, Davis, Habicht and town residents including a Tabor Academy representative. At Select Board member John Waterman’s suggestion, McGrail renamed the group a “pedestrian safety group.” The group has hired a consultant to help facilitate its goal to find solutions.

            McGrail reported that Town Counsel Jon Witten endorsed Hills’ idea to ask the towns elected boards to include the Select Board when adopting new policies. Waterman thinks the idea will have greater success with a “tickler system” in which town offices will regularly communicate with boards and committees to ask if there is anything that the Select Board would want to know.

            The Marion Fire Department is receiving $14,750 to help replace expiring gear. Fire Chief Brian Jackvony was thanked for his work in applying for the state grant. The board also voted to accept a donation of $100 to the Marion Fire Department from Robert and Barbara Sanderson.

            McGrail and Finance Director Judy Mooney are preparing a FY23 budget presentation for the Finance Committee on Wednesday, January 26, after which budget hearings will commence. McGrail hopes that the Select Board and Finance Committee can attend departmental meetings.

            One area that McGrail anticipates a budgetary strain is via the police reform that resulted in reclassification of employees.

            The Old Rochester Regional assessment is expected next week.

            Under Action Items, McGrail said that a “complicated problem” at 889 Point Road regarding the responsibility of repairs needs more information and time to sort out. Munafo will consult with Weston & Sampson engineers on the matter, and the item will be on the Select Board’s February 1 meeting agenda.

            The Select Board also approved the ABCC annual report (liquor licenses) and a Water/Sewer commitment of $344.52 for final readings on January 5.

            Passed over were sewer connection applications at 390 Wareham Road and 16 Briggs Lane. Both applicants were recommended to schedule appointments with Munafo.

            Prior to the public meeting, the board held an executive session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the Marion Police Brotherhood.

            The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, February 1, at 6:00 pm.

Marion Select Board

By Mick Colageo