Residents of River Road, which runs perpendicular from Route 6 along the Weweantic and Sippican rivers near the Wareham town line, petitioned the Board of Selectmen during its May 4 meeting to attach stipulations to its issuance of an alcohol license to Stone Rooster Hospitality.
The applicant for an on-premises, all-alcohol license aims to revive the location once known as Gilda’s, 27 Wareham Road (Route 6), at the mouth of River Road.
Neighbors insist they are not against the revival of the business but only want to take what they see as a now-or-never opportunity to curb what they fear will become an overflow parking situation.
“It’s not the plan, it’s the three cars halfway through the evening that park on the shoulder and create the potential crisis,” said Christopher Collings, a member of the Planning Board, who lives on River Road. “We’re hopeful that while we move forward here that … the applicant makes an overt gesture” to ensure parking will not hinder River Road egress.
The selectmen visited the site on Tuesday, met the new owners, and discussed the need for a parking plan that they say will be established with the certificate of occupancy filed with the building commissioner.
Selectman John Waterman said the plan will demonstrate the ability to match the occupancy of the building. He further stated his intention to “let [the neighbors] know that we’re going to be paying attention and remind them that these liquor licenses come up annually.”
The all-liquor license was unanimously approved, but Town Administrator Jay McGrail told the neighbors that all three selectmen “are not against this conversation” and that the matter of parking at the site will be taken up with the police chief and will be added to a future Board of Selectmen agenda.
In a public hearing continued from April 20, a proposed propane storage business, Papa’s Real Estate, LLC, that is requesting a special permit at 0 Luce Avenue asked for a continuance while working with its engineer to satisfy some of the concerns that came up in the last hearing. The hearing will take place on June 15 at 6:05 pm at the Music Hall.
The third public hearing of Tuesday’s meeting was a 49-minute run through of the 51-article warrant for the May 10 Annual Town Meeting to be held at Sippican School.
McGrail said just under 100 have signed up to attend, and those wishing to do so should reach out to Town Clerk Lissa Magauran. Vaccinated attendees will be seated in the main auditorium, while others will have the opportunity to attend in the school’s library or cafeteria, a location to be determined in a meeting Friday.
Article 4, the Sewer Enterprise Fund, will ask voters to authorize an 8.08-percent increase in lagoon project debt. As mitigation, the town has allocated $225,000 from free cash as an offset and has also applied for a state grant program meant to assist in the long term.
Corresponding Article 20 asks voters to provide $2,740,000 for the lining of Sewer Lagoon 1 as required by the Administrative Order on Consent issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. McGrail says the original estimate of 300 tons of sludge was later revealed to be 1,000 and may end at a total of 1,300 tons. Some of the sludge has been hauled to Canada. McGrail said Marion has received $250,000 of $2 million in grant money the town hopes to receive within the next year or two. “Nothing is guaranteed … that debt would minimize what we have to borrow here,” he said.
Magauran was on hand to announce that in-person voting for the Town Election will begin on Monday, May 10, and run through Thursday, May 13. Regular voting will be held on Friday, May 14, at the Cushing Community Center.
“I don’t think we’re going to have a huge crowd anyway, but it’s just for people who don’t feel comfortable yet,” she said, estimating a 15-20 percent voter turnout.
The selectmen voted to approve her plan to open the polls on May 14 at 8:00 am and close the polls at 7:00 pm.
The selectmen appointed Will Tifft from associate to full member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, appointed Dana Nilson as a full member, and Danielle Engwert as an associate member who will complete Tifft’s associate term.
Relaying information from Donna Hemphill, McGrail announced Marion’s Memorial Day plan for May 31, a 9:00 am event to take place entirely outside the Music Hall. There will be no procession to Old Landing, but Sippican School and Portuguese American bands are scheduled to perform.
Participants will include Dr. Steve Pierce of the U.S. Navy and Captain Andrew Bonney of Massachusetts National Air Guard, along with McGrail and the Board of Selectmen. Facemasks and social distancing will be required.
In other business, the selectmen voted to accept the donation of a 1978 brushfire truck from the Town of Wareham. The truck is at the Marion Fire Station and gives Marion a short-term solution while an upgrade is ongoing for a long-term truck.
The selectmen approved a sewer abatement request for $1,105.49 at Delano Road because the water did not enter the municipal system for treatment. They denied a sewer abatement request at 49 Water Street because the bill increase was caused by a leaking toilet and the water entered the system and was treated.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen was not scheduled at adjournment.
Marion Board of Selectmen
By Mick Colageo