The March 27 meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission found its members sitting across the conference table from homeowner Katherine Wood, 1 Pinebrook Lane. Wood said that when she recently learned that cutting and clearing activities on her property were in violation of an issued Order of Conditions, she was surprised. She was further alarmed that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection might be involved.
Conservation Commission Chairman Mike King explained that before Wood purchased her property, there had been considerable pushback from abutters over the subdivision originally owned by Greta Fox. Those disagreements led to the introduction of the DEP, which issued a Superseding Order of Conditions.
The current commission became involved more recently when it was learned that Wood’s husband had cleared what was to have been a remediation area. Instead, chestnut trees were planted in the cleared space.
Wood explained that she and her husband were not completely aware of the Order of Conditions and were concerned that invasive species and other unwanted vegetation along with dead trees were problematic for the family, which includes three small children. Wood expressed her concern over dead trees and the potential of related injuries.
King said the commission is willing to work with her, to help her understand the limits imposed on landscapes in jurisdictional areas and that all future work needed to be brought before the commission for review before moving forward.
The commission agreed to meet with Wood at the property for a baseline review of the conditioned areas and to help her establish next steps. Wood expressed her gratitude and willingness to work with the commission.
In other business, the commission approved an Order of Conditions for reconstruction of Old Slough Road that included an Operation and Maintenance agreement, a replication area and a two-year cycle of the condition of the replication area, including reports.
A request for a Certificate of Compliance for 139 Bowman Road by Jamie Bissonnette of Long Built Homes hit a bit of a roadblock when the commissioners heard from Conservation Agent Brandon Faneuf that the seller, Next Generation Solar, had in his estimation, “the most poorly constructed solar farm I’ve ever seen.” He noted that after a couple of years, there remained bare ground absent of any vegetation and erosion controls that were not effective.
King asked Bissonnette if he could talk to the property owners, make them aware of issues at the site and hopefully move the requested Certificate of Compliance closer to approval. King noted that previous attempts to get Next Grid to fix problems at the solar field have been met with silence.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is planned for Monday, April 10, at 6:30 pm.
Mattapoisett Conservation Commission
By Marilou Newell