During the June 5 meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board, Peter Demakis of the Village at Mattapoisett spoke on behalf of the owners requesting the return of a $50,000 surety held by the town for some 20 years. Demakis said that in all the years that sum had been set aside for emergency stormwater-system repairs, “… nothing has happened.”
Demakis said that the condominium association has maintained the property from the grounds to the roof without oversight; and therefore, since the stormwater system has not failed, why was it necessary for the town to hang onto “… our money?” he asked. “We need to understand why.”
Chairman Tom Tucker said in a follow-up that the $50,000 surety was always to remain in place in the event of a catastrophic blowout of the detention pond situated above the Pepperbush neighborhood. He said an agreement with the developer was that the surety would be paid before the first unit was sold. However, the developer only came up with $20,000, leaving it up to others to come up with the rest.
But Demakis stressed that the detention pond rarely holds any water, is primarily dry and therefore not a threat to other properties. Tucker said that the surety was to have been held into perpetuity to protect others. Demakis kept circling back to his main point that the town doesn’t need to hold the association’s money because they were on top of all areas of maintenance.
Demakis asked the Planning Board to make a site visit to the complex to see for themselves the condition of the basin. Tucker agreed that the members would individually visit the property and tabled the matter to a future meeting.
In other business, a request for a Form A, Approval Not Required for property owned by Jeffrey Dunn located on Angelica Avenue and further described as Map 2, lots 159, 160, 169 and a portion of 168 was approved.
Trees needing removal due to poor condition was discussed. Suspect trees on Depot Street, Dexter Lane and Church Street will be tagged, and public meetings will be held to discuss the matter and determine the future of the trees.
This was the first meeting of the board’s newest member, William Wennerberg, who attended, bringing the board up to four members. Wennerberg shared in a follow-up that he was on the Plymouth Planning Board and Conservation Commission for eight years and has been a professional land manager and developer for 30 years.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board was not scheduled upon adjournment.
Mattapoisett Planning Board
By Marilou Newell