A fairly brief but efficient meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission was held Tuesday night, with the Commission’s ruling against the purchase of a Chapter 61B property in town being the most notable.
The town has Right of First Refusal for a property off High Street (which is currently owned by Scott and Felicia Morse) because the land falls under Chapter 61 Legislation.
Properties falling under Massachusetts Chapter 61 Legislation generally cover forest, agriculture or open space designations, and they are eligible for lower taxes because the towns favor those types of activities, according to Commissioner Rosemary Smith.
“From a conservation point, it doesn’t have a lot of value,” said Laurell Farinon, the town’s Conservation Agent.
Next, the Commission approved minor work to be done at both the Covanta SEMASS facility and at NSTAR electrical station 718 on Route 28 after both were determined to be reasonable and minor projects.
The Commission’s only recommendations were that they’d be notified before each and every phase of the construction on both sites.
At SEMASS, workers will replace a temporary power line with a permanent one, and at the NSTAR facility, a new enclosure to accompany a pre-existing structure will be built.
By Nick Walecka
