It has become a recurring theme – residents from the Brandt Point Village subdivision coming before the Mattapoisett Planning Board seeking help to get Phase 1 completed before work on Phase 2 begins. On June 6, residents Gail Carlson and Dennis Dimos once again sat in front of the board members to air their concerns and seek assistance.
Carlson said that a planned mail kiosk is in the wrong location and that the former developer, Joseph Furtado, had promised it would be moved. The current location will create a driving hazard, she said.
But before they could finish that line item in a long list of promises that have been made yet not satisfied, Dimos said work on Phase 2 – referred to as “the back” – has been taking place for the last three weeks while little or nothing was being done on Phase 1.
Chairman Tom Tucker appeared unsatisfied.
“They are not to do anything in the back!” Tucker stated with controlled frustration.
Tucker said that he had not been able to participate in the May 16 meeting, at which time the new development team of Mark Marcos and Armand Cortellesso appeared before the board. At that meeting, they agreed to provide as-built plans and to work with the town’s engineering team headed up by Ken Motta of Field Engineering, but they were not given permission to move forward with Phase 2. Also weighing in the balance is a previously negotiated tri-party agreement. However, with the withdrawal of Furtado from the project, that agreement is most likely null and void.
“Mark Marcos refuses to speak to anyone,” Carlson said. “He’s playing hardball and saying he’s going to go by the plans, but Joe (Furtado) said he’d fix things.”
Carlson said that Marcos is moving forward executing work to an old plan that doesn’t take into consideration incorrect construction that has already taken place on Phase 1.
Dimos inserted, “They were out there at six o’clock in the morning! Suddenly, a contractor came up to us and said, ‘We need to put conduits through your front yard.’”
Carlson said Marcos had commented to her that, “We are done with the Planning Board.”
Tucker said, “Oh yeah? I spoke to Mark Marcos on the phone and he said he knew not to go back there.”
Highway Surveyor Barry Denham told Tucker, “I didn’t know they weren’t supposed to start working on Phase 2.” He said they needed to get answers from Field Engineering regarding confirmation of work completed and incomplete on Phase 1, but that Motta was having a hard time getting answers.
“We are on our third ownership. This is getting ridiculous!” Tucker said. “These guys are jerking us around.”
Dimos asked, “Is there anything we can do to stop this so they will meet with us?”
Tucker instructed board member Nathan Ketchel to contact the town’s attorney to request a cease and desist order. He said he would not be able to attend the next meeting due to his work schedule.
Looking at Carlson and Dimos, Tucker said, “Lip service needs to stop.” He also told Dimos to “Call the police” if construction resumes before 7:00 am.
In other business, Alan Decker from the Buzzards Bay Coalition and Doug Schneider of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates, Inc. came before the board to request Form A determinations on several parcels, all part of land acquisitions recently made by the town and the coalition for protection of the Mattapoisett River aquifer, along with text changes on the plans to ensure protection of the lands into perpetuity. Those requests were approved.
Also seeking a Form A not required determination was Mike Esposito, 18 and 20 Ned’s Point Road, to convey an unbuildable parcel from number 20 to number 18, putting legal access to a pier into number 18 exclusively. Esposito owns both properties. His request was approved.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for June 20 at 7:00 pm in the Mattapoisett Town Hall conference room.
By Marilou Newell