Tritown Against Racism made a spirited introduction to the Rochester Board of Selectmen during the latter’s August 3 public meeting.

            “Our mission is to intentionally create an anti-racism atmosphere,” explained Tritown Against Racism member Alison Noyce to the selectmen. “Our philosophy is to start where you live. There is a huge racism problem in our country. It’s hard, it’s confusing, but let’s start where we live… we’re willing to do that work to make changes.”

            Noyce, who participated via Zoom, was joined by fellow Tritown Against Racism members Barbara Sullivan and Tangi Thomas.

            Noyce, a white Rochester resident and mother and grandmother to children who live in Rochester, told the board that she has two sons who are black, a 2020 graduate of Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School and a junior at Old Rochester Regional High School.

            “We call it ‘calling in’ rather than ‘calling out’ … We want people to come to us wherever they are in their journey,” said Noyce, alluding to a growing awareness across the nation in the wake of the 2020 killings of Breanna Taylor and George Floyd by police officers. “We’re ready to meet people where they are.”

            Although Rochester has a small minority population, once a platform existed, people of color quickly opened up to share stories about racism in the town’s public schools, including adults.

            “It’s been kept a little bit secret or underground so to speak,” said Noyce, who brought incidents targeting her sons to the attention of school administrators. “I didn’t feel like I was one of a lot of people who were having this issue… Once we started Tritown Against Racism, I found out I wasn’t alone.”

            Thomas, a Marion resident whose son age 6 and daughter age 13 have grown up in Marion since the second grade, told the selectmen about the group’s book drive aimed at diversity that as of Saturday had reached a total of 295 books. Thomas and her kids spent an evening on Amazon.com and made a “long list of books that were diverse, that were going to cater to everybody.”

            The frequent volunteer at Sippican School “wanted to find a book that my son could relate to.”

            Rochester resident Kelcey Robertson, age 10, became the book drive’s biggest donor several weeks ago when he sold lettuce from his family’s garden resulting in the addition of 57 books for the Rochester Memorial School library. Robertson, as Thomas explained, chose books based on his experience with other children commenting on his hair or asking why his father is a black man. Robertson was recently awarded The Wanderer’s Keel Award for his outstanding contributions to his community.

            “We were so thankful to everybody who donated to the book drive,” said Thomas, who said Tritown Against Racism will continue to collect volumes at the end of every school year. “We still have our wish list up if anyone wants to take a look at it.” (facebook.com/Tritown-Against-Racism-111302157253133)

            Asked by the board if the group is happy with the response its members have received from Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson and Rochester’s three school principals, Noyce indicated that it is a work in progress.

            “Junior high was particularly difficult for my sons. I feel like I got an OK response at that time, but it was more like putting out a fire. But systemic racism was not addressed,” she said. “We weren’t sure if we were going to be heard, but Mike Nelson’s commitment (for ORR) to become an anti-racism school… I have a lot of faith right now in Mike Nelson… If our schools change, then everything will change.”

            Last month, Sullivan addressed the ORR Joint School Committee, and members of Tritown Against Racism came away encouraged by the encounter.

            “We felt very supported by Mike Nelson and by school committee members,” said Noyce, who indicated talks are ongoing with Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School Principal Aaron Polansky as well. “We’re here for the community, just like you guys are.”

            “I hope you will keep us informed as to your progress, because this problem is unacceptable,” said Board of Selectmen Chairman Paul Ciaburri.

            In her Town Administrator’s Report, Suzanne Szyndlar told the board that June 19 is now officially a state holiday in recognition of the end of slavery in the United States.

            Szyndlar relayed notice from the Department of Revenue that FY21 funding for unrestricted general government aid (UGGA) and Chapter 70 education funding has been level-funded at FY20 amounts. In Rochester’s case, the UGGA amount is approximately $451,000. Chapter 70 funding is approximately $2,057,000. Szyndlar called it “good news for the municipalities in Massachusetts.”

            Plymouth County mosquito control spray was scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, in the evening, but was under consideration to be pushed back to Wednesday with Isaias coming up the east coast.

            In her Green Communities update, Szyndlar reported that Andrew Daniel has ordered lights and fixtures with insulation in the library and its attic completed and the police station in progress. Skylights for the school has been ordered.

            Szyndlar participated in a team walk-through of all municipal buildings with the public health agent and others to evaluate and installed air purifiers in all locations.

            Work is being done on the intercom system at Town Hall to keep people from entering the building all at once.

            Rochester’s new website went live on Friday and continues to receive updating.

            The Council on Aging program “Coffee and Conversation” is now in its third week held from 9:00 am to 11:00 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday outside the Senior Center on Dexter Lane.

            COA Director Cheryl Randall accessed the Board of Selectmen meeting via Zoom and requested permission to reopen the Senior Center building for small-group activities limited to 15 people in the large conference room.

            “We still have to remind people on occasion not to get too close because people really miss each other,” she said of the back-patio gatherings.

            Vice Chairman Brad Morse made a motion to let the COA open the building on a case-by-case basis while following state-government guidelines. The board approved. “Hopefully it won’t be that much, but it’s a good backup,” said Randall.

            Due to COVID-related restrictions, the Senior Center will not be used as an emergency shelter.

            In other business, the board signed the Seaboard Solar Easement off Old Middleboro Road that had been approved by Town Meeting. Monday, November 16, was established as a special Town Meeting date subject to the Planning Board and other applicable parties. The possibility of a $100,000 feasibility study was discussed in regards to a new public-safety building that could house police and fire departments. There are no funds established to pay for it, and Town Meeting approval would be needed.

            The Board of Selectmen met for the third straight time in the Town Hall with Szyndlar also at the U-shaped table and Town Counsel Blair Bailey managing the technical aspects while participating in the meeting as needed. After the first two hybrid attempts had met with substantial audio difficulties deciphering the voices in the room via Zoom, the audio was noticeably improved for the August 3 meeting.

            The board broke into executive session to discuss the potential purchase of land and returned but only to adjourn. The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Monday, August 17, at 6:00 pm.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Mick Colageo

            The July 31 Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board meeting might have been a brief one, but the new business agenda line item is already making a big difference to boaters.

            Opening the meeting a bit belatedly due to technical difficulties with the remote meeting platform, Chairman Carlos DeSousa displayed a graphic for those in attendance. The graphic outlined the addition of new dinghy-dock spaces by adding peninsulas and relocating the Fire Boat. “It’s made quite a bit of difference already,” he said.

            The need for additional dinghy spaces has long been a problem facing the seaside boating community. Long waiting lists were eliminated over the last three years for moorings, but the associated space needed for dinghies to tie-up at the town wharf has grown.

            The new peninsulas are 20 feet by 60 feet, DeSousa said, and once fully installed will also add spaces for transients to tie up. While discussing this matter, member Brad Smith said the length of line used to secure a dinghy to a dock should be a similar to help avoid entanglement of lines. But all agreed setting such a standard would be difficult.

            Harbormaster Jamie MacIntosh was not able to attend the meeting due to his participation in a mutual effort to provide aid to a boat off Woods Hole that was taking on water. “When we got there the Coast Guard was on the scene,” he said in a follow-up.

            Regarding the dinghy spaces he’s been installing, MacIntosh said, “We are working within the Army Corps permit to maximize space.” He said the goal is not only to add spaces but to alleviate congestion. “We still have to make sure there’s enough water for boats to move around.”

            The wharf at Shipyard Park isn’t the only location where additional dinghy spaces will be added. “We are still looking at the Barstow dock, it’s still in the framework,” said MacIntosh. “One of the biggest challenges for boaters is to get out of their boats safely.”

            In other business, DeSousa shared an email he received from Weston “Van” Cantor, who alerted the board that motorboats were still racing through the designated recreation area. He acknowledged that, while the Harbormaster couldn’t catch all violators, such episodes were still taking place. Board members agreed that patrols had increased and that they believed those efforts were paying off. DeSousa added that new channel markers were already on maritime charts. The Harbormaster will be advised of Cantor’s continued concerns.

            Last item to be discussed was the possible confusion boaters have over the necessity to register their boats. “It’s just like owning a car,” MacIntosh told The Wanderer. “You have to register your boat if it has a motor.” That registration is required by the town for boaters seeking to obtain a mooring.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board is scheduled for Thursday, August 27, at 7:00 pm; meeting details will be available at mattapoisett.net.

Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board

By Marilou Newell

            It’s been a topic of conversation for many years, the fact that Mattapoisett has low available housing stock and even fewer units that could be considered affordable. On August 3, local real estate developer Ryan Correia came before the Mattapoisett Planning Board, remotely, to informally discuss subdivision options for property located at 3 Crystal Springs Road at the intersection of Acushnet Road.

Accompanying Correia as he laid out the initial conceptual design for the 21.63 acres was Nyles Zager of Zenith Consulting Engineers, Lakeville.

            The conceptual plans as described would include eight single-family homes on large lots in the town’s RR80 district. Those homes would have three or four bedrooms and two or more baths serviced by septic systems. But Correia said he wanted to plan the project that “…the town wants.”

            Correia said, “This concept is a by-rights project, but we could look at 40B housing or senior units also.” He said before his team invested in a variety of development options they wanted to home in on what the town would find most acceptable.

            “There are massive resources and wetlands in there,” said Zager said of the parcel. He said that the single-family concept versus cluster units, duplexes, apartments, or condominiums would, “fit the land with ample open spaces.” But other designs were not out of the question, he stated. Zager noted that multi-unit designs would mean far more engineering and time, given the wetlands on the property, and that it is an area significant to Massachusetts Wildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.

            “These single-family homes will be designed to fit into the natural landscape,” said Zager.

            The subdivision concept as presented would include three lots with frontage on Crystal Spring Road and a roadway with cul-de-sac for five more. “But we are looking for your input,” Correia reiterated.

            Several board members commented that affordable housing is something the town needs with member Janice Robbins saying later in the discussion, “It seems clear we need more affordable housing in Mattapoisett. This plan will just be more homes, not affordable… Cluster housing done right could be very effective.” Member Karen Field clearly stated, “We need 40B.”

            While the board members agreed that affordable housing is needed, where such housing should be placed remained an open question. With the writing of an updated Master Plan that the Planning Board is in the early stages of undertaking, its members felt this question might be answered. But acknowledging the Master Plan update is in its infancy, Chairman Tom Tucker said, “We might be putting the horse before the cart.”

            Zager said that other concepts would mean the overall project would take much longer, whereas the plan as presented could move right along with a fall start date. Correia again said he wanted the town’s feedback.

            “Part of my reluctance to speak out more is it’s hard to evaluate a project just in concept,” Robbins said. “The devil is in the details. Any one of your ideas could be acceptable.”

            As the discussion drew to a close, Tucker told Correia that he needed to get feedback from the Highway Department, Fire Department, Police Department and any other applicable town agency before returning to the board with definitive plans.

            Tucker also cautioned Correia, saying, “This concept fits with neighborhood. If you propose 40B, you’ll get significant pushback from the neighbors.”

            Correia said his team would look at other options and take everything into consideration before returning with new plans.

            In other business, Tucker said that a plan to construct a solar-array access road off Long Plain Road for an array planned just over the town line in Acushnet should have been formally submitted to the Planning Board for review. As it was, the proposal came to the attention of the board by way of the Building Department’s director, Andy Bobola.

            Bobola asked the board to weigh in on whether or not informal plans showed adequate construction planning. In a follow-up, he said that when a driveway or roadway was in one town but the project in another, “It brings up legal issues – which town is responsible for fire and police services?”

            Robbins asked that Town Counsel be asked for guidance, given the possible complexities of a project spanning two different municipalities.

            Tucker felt the issues around the proposed roadway were more complex than a quick review of what he believed to be inadequate plans. “They could have submitted this in time for this meeting. This didn’t just come up,” he said. Planning Board administrator Mary Crain said she would reach out to the property owners and invite them to the next meeting.

            Regarding the Master Plan, Crain was asked to secure firm dates for initial meetings and workshops, both of which would include two Planning Board members and town-wide volunteers. Grant King from Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) has been coordinating with Crain and will be the facilitator throughout the process.

            Tucker was firm in his belief that the committee should be primarily populated by residents, not town employees or committee members. “It’s their town,” he said. Crain said that there would be an initial meeting with town employees at the request of the Town Administrator Mike Lorenco to help familiarize them with the process. An initial date of August 26 at 7:00 pm is possible, Crain said. As a public meeting, it will be posted at mattapoisett.net.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for August 31 at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

            In a brief remote meeting held on August 4, the Rochester Conservation Commission worked to close out a public hearing for a Notice of Intent filing pertaining to the construction of a canopy solar array that dated back to June.

            Sarah Stearns of Beals and Thomas, Inc. represented Hingham-based Hank Ouimet Renewable Energy Development Partners and brought to the commission minor changes that were made to her proposal after her meeting with the Rochester Planning Board. The solar canopy and canal system to be constructed at the Eldredge Bogs off Pierce Street required modifications to the northern portion of the site in order to comply with the necessary 100-foot setback to an abutting property.

            “The northern portion of the proposal was too close to the property line,” Stearns told the commission. “We amended the canopy and added a length of canopy in the southern part of the array to make up for the loss in the northern area.”

            The amended plans include reorganization of significant areas of solar canopies around the site in order to keep the potential power output of the solar array similar while also adhering to the Planning Board’s requests. The changes leave some areas of the canal completely uncovered by the solar canopies and include extensions to southern canals to make up for the lost panels.

            Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon explained that peer-review engineer Henry Nover had reviewed the project and found that the updated plans adequately satisfy all of the town’s requirements. Farinon recommended that the project receive the commission’s approval provided that a meeting is held prior to construction and a wildlife sweep of the area take place before the start of canal work. Following Farinon’s recommendation, the commission voted to issue an Order of Conditions for the project, allowing construction to go forward.

            With the commission’s only public hearing closed out, Farinon spoke to the anticipated increase of projects to come in the future and the impact it would have on Nover.

            “Henry Nover has been our peer consultant and he typically reviews the engineering portions and stormwater standards for our projects,” Farinon explained. “Henry is semi-retired. He has recommended that we get an additional review engineer on board so that we have another available consultant.”

            Farinon suggested that the commission consider potential candidates for the position as well as another wetland scientist who could also be available in the case of a heavy influx of proposed projects. Vice Chairman Daniel Gagne agreed that a review of different professionals and firms would allow the commission to choose the candidate best qualified for the position. The commission agreed to continue the discussion in their next meeting to give ample time for board members to sufficiently review the qualifications of any proposed engineers.

            The next Rochester Conservation meeting will be held remotely over the Zoom platform on Tuesday, August 18, at 7:00 pm.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Matthew Donato