The Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals on September 26 had no issues with Mary and Michael Fitzgerald’s variance application to build a single-story barn/accessory structure when it came to square-footage and its location in the front yard, but the request to allow its height to exceed that of the principal house raised questions.

            Mary Fitzgerald said she and her husband were looking for the “perfect property” as they planned for their retirement, and this past June they bought their place at 83 Hiller Road.

Variance, over 1,000 square feet in size and in front yard. What they need, though, is a big garage to store all their many belongings, which includes several trailers, a boat with a trailer, a camper, salvaged architectural pieces, a fireplace, table saws, and a tractor. But they also want it to enhance their property and match the style of their house.

            ZBA member Richard Cutler thought it sounded a bit like they would be running a business from the residence, but Fitzgerald assured him that they would not.

            The board then turned to the three conditions required to justify a variance: unique shape or topography of the land, financial hardship, and whether the proposal would negatively impact the neighborhood. ZBA member Kirby Gilmore suggested the hardship could be that the couple’s belongings would be subject to the outside elements.

            “Normally the applicant is supposed to tell us what the hardships are,” said Cutler to Gilmore who promptly proceeded to point out the topography element of the location of Leonard’s Pond preventing the siting of the garage anywhere else but in the front yard.

            ZBA member Tom Flynn said he understood the need for variances for the square footage in excess of 1,000 square feet, and the need to locate the garage in the front yard, but he could not find the need for the garage to exceed the height of the house at 33 feet.

            “I’m struggling with that,” said Cutler.

            Cutler also thought building height should be addressed through a special permit.

            The plan, however, never specified the height of the proposed garage. Without an engineer’s notation on the plan, the board had to continue the hearing to allow the Fitzgeralds to satisfy the board’s request.

            “That would be a reasonable request,” said Fitzgerald.

            “My fear is that… we fumble something and it creates a hardship,” said Chairman David Arancio.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for October 10 at 7:15 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals

By Jean Perry

            Volunteer and member of the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike PathRobin Lepore came before the Mattapoisett Finance Committee on September 26 at the request of Town Administrator Michael Gagne to give a presentation outlining the very large public works project planned for Industrial Drive off North Street.

            While Lepore, assisted by Bonne DeSousa, and Highway Surveyor Barry Denham have worked collectively for more than a year on finding grant opportunities to fund Phase 2 of the bike path, the volunteers have also found economic grants and public works grants in the process.

            All those funding sources need to be bundled together, explained Gagne, as the town seeks to make roadway and infrastructure improvements to Industrial Drive, the artery that feeds the town’s light industrial zone.

            Lepore said that during the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 Town Meetings, voters had approved funding the Industrial Drive’s design and engineering studies that brought the project up to 15 percent design completion. She said that a grant was applied for in the amount of $1.87 million that would partially pay for the multi-pronged project. The timeline for this project, she said, includes having final designs and permitting completed by early 2020 with an anticipated construction start date in late 2020 or early 2021.

            The private sewer project currently taking place at the business park will allow businesses to tie-in to the public sewer system, thereby freeing up much needed land for future growth in the business district. The full scope of the project as outlined includes sewer, utilities, bike path, and roadway construction. Gagne said that the roadway redevelopment would also fix historic drainage issues along the roadway.

            Lepore said the bike path would unite Phase 1b, which is currently under construction, with Phase 2, which is yet to be fully designed. Phase 2 will eventually link to the path still underway in Marion. Bike path proponents, Lepore said, were planning for the day when a recreational path will extend from Providence, Rhode Island all the way to Provincetown.

            In the meantime, Lepore pointed out that roadway and infrastructure improvements in the business park will generate new business for the town in the form of tourist dollars and new businesses offering employment at the business park.

The price tag includes the town bonding $1.665M, transferring $500,000 from free cash, and anticipation of grants totaling approximately $2.585M. 

            Timing was an issue, Lepore pointed out, saying that it made fiscal sense to do all the work at one time to keep costs in line versus doing a project of this size piecemeal.

            Lepore suggested bringing this project to the voters during the Fall Special Town Meeting in October.

            Gagne emphasized that the cost of the project would not all be funded by town money. He said that economic opportunity grants are available and that conversations with federal grant representatives have been favorable towards Mattapoisett’s plan. He also said that members from the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) have been assisting the town through the economic development strategy process.

            Finance Committee member Colby Rottler got to the meat of things when he asked how much a warrant article would be asking the voters to fund. Gagne said $3 million, but not all that would be at once; rather, it would be bonded over time as retiring debt freed up borrowing. Gagne maintained that grants would offset the bond, saying, “We have to spend the money first, then the town gets reimbursed.” 

            Also during the meeting, Denham gave the FinCom details related to bridge construction necessary at an Acushnet Road location. A bridge situated some 800 feet south of Hereford Road is in immediate need of repair.

            Denham said the original bridge was built in 1933 for $250, promoting Gagne to quip, “Well that didn’t work out bad, then – it lasted 95 years.” That gave everyone in the room a bit of comic relief. But the seriousness of the situation was present as Denham handed out a Massachusetts Department of Transportation field report from May 2017 that indicated the bridge was in poor condition with the additional narrative, “…advanced section loss, deterioration, spalling or scour…”

            Denham said the town’s portion of the project would cost $1.2 million and be funded with a $500,000 grant and $460,000 in future Chapter 90 funds from 2020 and 2021 that would be earmarked to complete the bridge. The balance, Denham said, would come from other sources within the town’s budget.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee was not yet scheduled as of press time.

Mattapoisett Finance Committee

By Marilou Newell

            The Town of Marion has taken further steps toward waste disposal autonomy, Marion Town Administrator Jay McGrail told the Board of Selectmen on October 1.

            As Marion heads into its fall Special Town Meeting later this month, McGrail said he went ahead and solicited some quotes from various waste disposal companies like Covanta (SEMASS) and the Town of Bourne’s integrated solid waste management facility. The article slated for the warrant to allow preliminary negotiations to withdraw is the “first of two votes” the town needs to withdraw from the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District, of which Marion has been a member since the district’s conception in 1973.

            Voters would later need to vote again to accept the terms stated in an amendment to the district agreement that would allow Marion to leave.

            As the December 31, 2020 expiration of the district’s contract with SEMASS approaches, the district has struggled to determine the future of its waste disposal once SEMASS ceases accepting the trash at no cost and no longer reimburses the district for the costs associated with running the district’s two transfer stations. McGrail said during a selectmen’s meeting earlier this month that he saw little to no benefit in remaining in the district beyond that point, especially given that Marion, unlike Carver and Wareham, provides residents with curbside trash and recycling collection.

            During the October 1 meeting, McGrail found another reason to question the benefits of staying in the CMWRRDD.

            “Given the unknowns with the district,” McGrail said, “…We need to know where we’re going to send our trash come January 2021.”

            McGrail said he received two quotes from Covanta and Bourne and then met with representatives from both companies.

            Bourne’s offer was “more complicated,” said McGrail, since its permitting is still uncertain for a planned expansion of its facilities. Bourne could only commit to a short-term agreement, McGrail said, at $85 per ton of solid waste.

            Covanta offered the town $77.50 per ton for the first year of a five-year contract, with a 2.5 percent escalator each year.

            “Given the industry right now and the different potential road block in the future as far as trash goes,” said McGrail, “I think it would be in the best interest of the board to sign this agreement (with Covanta).”

            McGrail said that agreement would include an appropriation clause if the town was unable to fund the agreement for any reason, but the price would be guaranteed if the town were to move forward.

            “Tonnage price of trash is not going to go down,” said McGrail. But if the price of trash disposal does go suddenly soar, he said, “If that happens, we’ve locked in at $77.50 a ton.”

            McGrail said he thought that it might be a benefit to remain with the district as a way to preserve purchasing power when seeking bids, but that theory was disproved. As it turns out, Covanta offered the same exact quote of $77.50 to the district as it did to the Town of Marion.

            “If we do part ways (from the district), we still are contracted directly with Covanta for the remainder of the [contact],” McGrail told the selectmen.

            Also during the meeting, McGrail proposed hiring an assistant director to assist the director of the Department of Public Works. According to McGrail, the long list of capital projects totaling a near $20 million could potentially occupy DPW Director David Willet long-term, leaving him little time to oversee the day-to-day operations of the department. Having someone between Willet and the foremen position, McGrail said, would allow Willet to perform the high-level engineering and project management the board wants him to do.

            “Work out the details and the money portion of it and get back to us,” said Parker.

            In other business, McGrail told the board that talks with Police Chief John Garcia have led to the relocation of the digital speeding sign to Front Street near the Marion Music Hall. The sign will face traffic entering the village from Route 6 to hopefully reduce speeding.

            “The chief thinks that the sign has really made an impact on Spring Street with Tabor,” McGrail said, “…and would do the same thing in the heart of the village right there.”

            McGrail announced that there would be an informational meeting ahead of the Special Town Meeting for residents on Wednesday, October 16 at 6:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall.

            The Fall Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 21 at 6:30 pm at Sippican School.

            The Marion Board of Selectmen will meet again for a workshop pertaining to a new personnel policy on Wednesday, October 9 at 9:00 am at the Marion Town House.

            The next regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen is scheduled for October 15 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry