The December 13 session of the Rochester Planning Board meeting started off with a bang, as board members blasted ABC Disposal President Mike Camara for not having a definitive timeline for construction.
Zero Waste, off of Cranberry Highway in Rochester, has been operating via special permit for the last year, but board members claim they have been operating in violation of the permit.
“We need a definitive timetable for this, particularly for stormwater drainage and fire alarms,” said Chairman Arnold Johnson.
“Everything’s being taken care of,” Camara assured him.
“So when can I see this timetable?” Johnson asked. “We really need a timeline. We’re getting some complaints. It would be nice if you could come to the first meeting in January with a timeline because we really need to see it and get everything going.”
Camara promised he’d get back to the board, which prompted Planning Board member Ben Bailey to ask him, “Did I hear you say that yes, you’ll be at the first January meeting with the plans?”
“I think being here on the first January meeting with a definitive timeline is a good start,” added Johnson, “and I’d like to ask that you be at the first February meeting with a definitive plan of where you are, in compliance with the plan. Right now, you’re operating outside of special permit limitations and that needs to change.”
“I’ll give you my best guess,” Camara said, “in accordance with what the courts allow me to do. They haven’t approved everything yet.”
“If you can’t do better than ‘best guess,’ we’re going to have to hold you to that guess,” Bailey told him in frustration. “You need to comply with the permit, and you’ve had enough time. We need to hold you to this.”
“What we’re looking for is a plan that will happen at the moment that the courts give you permission to carry it out – not a guess, but a solid plan,” Johnson said. Camara agreed to this statement, and the hearing was extended to the first January meeting of the board, which will be held on January 10.
The board also listened to a number of hearings involving solar arrays. Ed Watson, representative for Clean Energy Collective, was at the meeting to represent Michael and Johnann Forand, who are constructing a large-scale solar array at 268 Mattapoisett Road.
“We met about this a few weeks ago,” Watson said, “and since then there have been a few changes. We’ve re-arranged the panels so that we won’t have to disturb Devil’s Rock, a historical landmark on the property. We’re also extending the stockade portion of the fence to the area behind the abutting Lacey property and adding vegetation. Mrs. Lacey would like to possibly just have white pine planted in the area in place of the fence, and we wanted to bring that up with you.”
“I think the plan should include both white pines and the fence,” Johnson said. “This is a long-term plan; if new people come onto the property and cut those trees down, there won’t be any screening, and then we’d have to wait while the white pines regrew.”
“I’m not opposed to the fencing,” said Sue Lacey, who was in attendance. “I just wanted to add the white pine. I’ve planted some on my property and they grow so quickly that once they’re in place I won’t see anything. Plus, they’re something the deer won’t eat.”
The board decided to continue the hearing until the next meeting in January.
Bill Milka of 241 New Bedford Road stood for the last hearing of the night. Milka is planning to install a small solar array on a former cranberry bog in the back of his property.
“Half of the bog will be a hayfield, and the other half will be the solar array,” Milka said. “Cranberries aren’t very profitable anymore.”
The solar array, which will be fully fenced in, will consist of 780 panels. All power will be carried via underground lines, except over conservation wetland areas and buffer zones, where poles and power lines will instead carry the power.
Planning Board member John DeMaggio, looking over the plans, asked, “All of the electrical equipment will be kept inside this ten- by twenty six-foot metal shed?”
“Yes, it’s an overseas container,” Milka explained.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen that,” DeMaggio said. “I like it. I like it a lot more than the crap that we usually see.”
The board voted to continue the hearing until the first January meeting for additional time to work on compliances and recommendations from the Conservation Commission.
The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board will be held on Tuesday, January 10 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
By Andrea Ray