Jose Araujo, 15 Elizabeth Drive, represented by engineer Rick Charon and wetlands scientist Bob Gray came before the Rochester Conservation Commission on March 5 with conceptual restoration plans for the former Boy Scout Camp on Leonard’s Pond. 

            On January 15, the commission issued a cease and desist order to Araujo for illegal cutting of trees and shrubs within the 25-foot no touch zone and the 100-foot buffer zone of the bordering vegetated wetland and bank of Leonard’s Pond. Now he was before the commission with restoration plans and a ‘mea culpa.’

            With hundreds of trees and shrubs now removed from the pondside property, Gray discussed the replanting of 150 trees, both hardwoods and pines, as well as some 250 shrubs. He also made it clear what the reality of such a massive restoration plan meant in terms of timing and execution. Gray also shared some creative ways of returning the site, if not in whole at least in part, to its former condition.

            With the plantings, Gray said, time is of the essence. He explained that April was the ideal time to undertake the plantings, a time when weather conditions were most conducive for the trees and shrubs to establish themselves before the heat of summer becomes an issue.

            Gray also said that it might be viable to relocate trees from within the nearly 26-acre site from one location to the restoration areas. He said that plants already well established on the site were more likely to reestablish themselves in conditions they were habituated to. But he also said that the contractor doing the work could not be a garden variety landscaper, it had to be someone with the knowledge and skills to do the job without creating more disturbances on the property.

            Gray cautioned the commission that nursery stock might not be easily established and hoped that the commission would sanction use of some trees and shrubs from the site.

            Gray also discussed the necessity of watering all the new planting, the possibility of an irrigation system, and pending discussions with the Board of Health for the drilling of water wells.

            While discussing the location of plants in the restoration plan, Gray reminded the commission that Araujo planned to build a home on the site and therefore some areas that appeared prime locations for restoration would only come under the ax at a future point in time. So he felt it was best to try and stay clear of a location where a house might be built.

            The group spent an hour discussing best practices and plans for the restoration. Before continuing the hearing, Araujo asked if he could speak. Chairman Michael Conway acknowledged him.

            “I want to apologize for the way I went about this, not knowing what I was doing,” Araujo stated. “The whole idea was to plant wild flowers for my bees.” He said he would cooperate with the commission and offered to return with plans that showed where a future home might be erected if the commission wanted to see that. He was advised that that would not be a good idea.

            The hearing was continued until March 19, at which time a final plan is expected containing the location for all plantings, relocation of trees from areas of the site, name of contractor for the project, and seasonal reporting on the overall restoration over two or three growing seasons.

            Earlier in the evening, the commission approved an Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation filed by Steve Long of Borrego Solar Systems for property located at 75 Vaughan Hill Road, related to the development of a solar array field.

            They also conditioned a Notice of Intent filing from Schoen and Bonnie Morrison for 15 Cranberry Highway to redevelop an existing commercial property into a daycare and event rental space.

            A Notice of Intent filing by Sofia Darras for 565 Rounseville Road was continued until March 19.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for March 19 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

On March 4, Scott Snow’s proposed Eldridge Estates subdivision planned for parcels located off Prospect Road failed to supply all the details necessary for a thorough vetting by the Mattapoisett Planning Board.

            Coming before the full board was G. deJesus of Prime Engineering. During previous informal meetings and hearings with the applicant’s representatives, Snow was directed to provide timely and complete documents that the board could study before the meeting opened. However, Chairman Tom Tucker stopped deJesus before he could begin, saying, “We just got the plans today – we are going to continue this plan. … There are major changes.” Mr. deJesus attempted to color the changes as “minor,” causing Tucker to react with, “Don’t even go there!” 

            Tucker said that he had instructed the applicant numerous times to submit a plan that was complete and filed with the Planning Board office at least a week before the meeting date.

            “I told the applicant, but you keep doing this,” Tucker fired. “He (Snow) had the opportunity to return when he was ready. We would have continued it without prejudice – you either play by the rules or you don’t play.”

            Snow’s first appearance before the Planning Board, at which time he floated a conceptual and very incomplete plan for a subdivision, was in June of 2018. Since that time, Prime Engineering has returned with at least two different lot division concepts, and changed roadway or driveway plans and stormwater systems, which all failed to satisfy essential questions raised by the Planning Board.

            Before moving on to other business, board member Nathan Ketchel raised further technical questions. Ketchel had, during the February 4 hearing, taken Prime Engineering’s Richard Rheaume to task over stormwater systems and calculations, an exchange that lasted for more than an hour. Those documents still remained incomplete.

            Planning Board member Janice Robbins told deJesus that Rheaume, during his presentation, “hadn’t taken any notes.” 

            Tucker read a letter into the minutes from a concerned abutter. The author, David Mee, 35 Pine Island Road, raised concerns over stormwater runoff, re-grading, drainage basins, and potential damage to existing stonewalls on his property. He also asked the Planning Board to mandate a “higher than usual completion of work bond … to ensure the applicant fulfills his contractual obligations.”

            Abutter Bill Cantor asked about a peer review consultant. Tucker assured him that Bill Madden of G.A.F. Engineering would be providing that oversight. Cantor also questioned how frequently abutters were required to be notified of hearings. He was advised that after a filing, abutters were not subsequently notified of hearings except for the public notice found on the town hall billboard or within official published agendas. In this case, however, there had been two separate abutter notifications because the project scope had significantly changed from a three-lot subdivision to a five-lot subdivision.

            Tucker said of the notification process, “This is a ploy some developers play.”

            Once again, the project was debated and questions raised by the board members for an hour. Tucker finally said, “Let’s not do their work for them. Okay, so you guys weren’t ready for us tonight.” He also said that if an early version of the project had received approval by the Conservation Commission, a revised plan would have to go through that process again. The hearing was continued until March 18.

            Earlier in the evening, the Planning Board granted a Form A: Approval Not Required to Gingras Construction for a single buildable lot subdivision located off Fairhaven Road, the site of a former gravel pit. Gingras’ plan noted a four-acre lot for the construction of a house with the possibility of gifting an unbuildable wetlands area to the Town.

            Also approved was a Form A: Approval Not Required to Arthur Harris for property located off Aucoot Road for the construction of a single-family home on four acres.

            Tree Warden Roland Cote received permission to cut down a tree located at 14 Linhares Avenue. He said the homeowner was requesting the tree be removed and would replace it with a specimen that would be less intrusive. Cote noted that the locust tree in question had a root system that was breaking up the homeowner’s driveway and shedding limbs and branches that might threaten the property further.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for March 18 at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

            At the recommendation of the Capital Planning Committee, the Rochester Board of Selectmen on March 4 approved placing four capital projects on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant totaling $98,703.

            Capital Planning Committee Chairman David Arancio and committee member Barry Patraiko met with the selectmen to review the committee’s selection process and how it prioritized the top four capital spending requests various town departments submitted for consideration.

            Topping the list is the Fire/EMS Department’s request for $28,650 to upgrade existing extraction equipment, which Arancio said scores high on the list because of the public safety nature of the equipment.

            The Highway Department’s request for $35,000 for an emergency generator to power the highway barn and Fire Station 3 also made the list as “high priority” and also “critical” as it would support “life safety operations for the town,” as Arancio described it.

            The committee also recommended Rochester Memorial School’s request for $30,773 to fund its “Go Math!” math curriculum for a three-year contract as opposed to renewing the contract on an annual basis, saving taxpayers $17,220 over three years.

            According to Arancio, this was the school’s number one priority for its capital planning list.

            The $16,000 the school budget was funding each year for the math curriculum would be removed from the school’s operating budget for the next three fiscal years.

            And finally, the committee recommended funding the Plumb Library’s $4,280 request to purchase new computers. The price includes computer setup and the Microsoft Office software, said Arancio, calling the price “nominal” with a “strong upside to those who use technology at the library.”

            “I think it’s great that we moved to having the [capital planning] committee,” said Selectman Brad Morse.

            The formation of a capital planning committee was approved by Town Meeting in 1998, but the committee was never founded.

            “It’s awesome,” continued Morse. “I’ve been doing this a long time and this has been great having this, it takes a lot of steps out of [the planning process].”

            “We hope to next year hit the ground running … so we can really start strategically planning for the Town,” said Arancio.

            “And also represent all the departments and advocate for them impartially,” said Patraiko.

            The committee also recommended adding funds to the Capital Improvement Fund, something that was also passed by Town Meeting but never funded.

            Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar supported earmarking money specifically for the capital improvement fund because, she said, “When [the committee is] reviewing capital project needs, there’s actually a pool of money they know they can actually work with.” Currently, she said, the committee can only anticipate whatever amount of free cash is available each year rather than a more fixed amount.

            Szyndlar told selectmen that she would have a draft budget ready for approval for the warrant by the April 1 selectmen’s meeting, but currently there are still some “unknown numbers” to plug in, such as the school budgets and anticipated Town revenue.

            “Revenues look good,” Szyndlar stated, and this year the budget will only rely on $600,000 in free cash to balance the numbers.

            Szyndlar said, when she first started as town administrator, the Town was still relying on $900,000 in free cash to balance the budget, a practice the Town had wanted to relinquish for some time. The reliance on free cash each year has steadily decreased by increments of roughly $100,000 each year, which, Szyndlar said, “To me, that’s quite the accomplishment.”

            Instead of spending all free cash forwarded from the previous fiscal year, Szyndlar said the Town could begin to move more money towards funding stabilization accounts and capital planning reserves.

            “The right direction, for sure,” said Chairman Greenwood “Woody” Hartley.

            Also during the meeting, the board announced that the developer of the proposed 40R housing project has submitted its application to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.

            Steen Realty and Development Corporation’s proposal is for a 208-unit housing development slated for the intersection of Routes 58 and 28, known as “Rochester Crossroads.”

            The development, also referred to as a “friendly 40B,” will offer affordable housing in addition to market rate units just like a 40B, but the 40R brings with it the opportunity for Rochester to enforce its zoning regulations while also receiving some financial incentives from the state to help mitigate the increased demand on municipal services and schools.

            The next step in the process is Town Meeting approval of a “Smart Growth Overlay District” bylaw at the Annual May Town Meeting to provide the zoning that would accommodate such a residential development.

            In other matters, the board signed a new three-year contract with Szyndlar as town administrator/town accountant/chief financial officer. Hartley said Szyndlar has done “fine work” since she began three years ago, “And that’s why she’s getting this extended contract. … This contract reflects the job she’s done handling both of those jobs.”

            While signing the contract, Szyndlar joked, “Another three-year sentence,” prompting laughter.

            “We gotcha,” said Hartley.

            The contract is for $131,094 per year, reflecting a 5 percent increase.

            “I think we’ve accomplished a lot in the last three years, and I look forward to the next three years,” said Szyndlar. “It’s been a very good experience for me.”

            The board approved the job description for full-time fire chief, and the position will be posted internally for two weeks. As Hartley pointed out, this will be the first time Rochester ever employs a full-time fire chief. Fire Chief Scott Weigel is currently only a part-time employee.

            The board voted to move forward with a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement with the developers of the Mattapoisett Road solar array field. Town Meeting last year voted to allow the selectmen to enter into such an agreement.

            The board approved allowing its church neighbors to use 35 feet of Town Hall pavement, pending a nod from town counsel, to carry out work related to some forest management the church will be doing in the woods behind Town Hall. The work will begin the last week of March and take about a fortnight to complete. All the board wants is a certificate of insurance from the contractor doing the work so there would be no liability to the town.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for March 18 at 6:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry