Immediately after the Marion Select Board voted on July 19 to approve Automatic Amusement (arcade games), Common Victualer – All Alcohol licenses and a doing-business-as Name Change for Stone Rooster Hospitality to The River Junction, River Road resident Chris Collings stepped to the podium to address the board.
Representing several abutters to the revived establishment, Collings asked about plans he says River Road residents have yet to see regarding a parking plan as requested since the beginning of the project’s vetting process.
Town Administrator Geoff Gorman interjected that, because the residents’ issues were not on the Select Board’s meeting agenda, the state’s Open Meeting Law prohibited the board from holding “a deliberative process,” but he referenced a conversation that morning with Collings.
“As I said to him, I’ll say to everyone in the room, we will have a follow-up meeting to discuss your concerns, and if there’s a plan that’s put in place it will be presented to the Select Board,” said Gorman.
Collings clarified that the residents are not concerned about the approved parking plan for the Route 6 lot, they’re concerned about overflow parking on River Road based on prior experience when the establishment was known as Gilda’s.
“These aren’t imagined concerns, and it only takes two cars at the entrance of River Road to make it almost impossible for any vehicle, much less a safety (or) emergency vehicle … to come down,” said Collings. “What we want to make sure is that that is handled in an appropriate way so that it’s fair to everybody. … We’ve had great assurances provided, yet right now at this very moment, we’re being told, ‘Actually, oh well, that’s something we haven’t gotten around to … “
Collings said no-parking regulations to the first property line is a common practice in Marion, citing “a dozen” such occurrences in the village.
Select Board member Randy Parker suggested a trial parking sign facing Route 6 that says, “No parking for the next 500 feet” and a similar sign adjacent to the corner for vehicles “going in,” to which Collings said, “that’s a great way to start it.”
Gorman reiterated that, under the provisions of Open Meeting Law, Marion will hold a public meeting with Fire and Police representation and Marion Department of Public Works for further exchange of ideas.
The board agreed with Gorman that, theoretically, such a meeting could be set up for the residents with town officials, after which the Select Board could include the item on its first agenda following the emergence of a plan.
River Road resident Jack Beck expressed his dissatisfaction at the limits of the discussion.
John Mello represented the new ownership of the Stone Rooster. The business is licensed to open until 1:00 am, but Mello said it will open at 12:00 pm and likely close at 12:00 am. “The building’s almost done,” said Mello, who has not yet had final inspections.
In presenting an update on the Shared Use Path and Point Road Bike Path, Pathways Committee/Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission Chairman John Rockwell announced that all the design and layout work for the Shared Use Path has been completed by the project’s engineers.
Delays in completing the path that will connect to an existing path out of Mattapoisett, cross Route 105 at the intersection of Front and Spring streets, wind through Washburn Park and end at Point Road near Route 195, Rockwell said, are due in part to many state agencies commenting on the project. He said the engineers are presently reviewing approximately 270 pages of such comments.
“Once these are all done, I’d like to say we’re all done. No, then there’s a 60-day review period by DOT, and I’m sure there will be mark-ups,” said Rockwell, who says he has been working on the project since 1997. “It’s been a long process. This project has taught me humility, patience, it made me realize that one step forward is one step forward and, if you want to take 10 steps forward and all you get that day is two, that’s all you get. Be happy with it. So progress is being made.”
Select Board member Norm Hills asked about the timeline of the engineering review phase. Rockwell said he stopped asking for deadlines to be met. Community Preservation Act funding for construction was approved in a 2018 Town Meeting.
Rockwell said MassDOT has estimated the project costing the state approximately $5,000,000. The engineering work, he said, is a $500,000 project including oversight. The bid received was for $340,000. No funds will be needed for additional environmental work.
The Town of Marion has paid for land acquisition and engineering, according to Rockwell. Once the DOT accepts Marion’s plan, right-of-way and six additional easements that are needed would be next steps.
“The tricky thing on the easements and the appraisals is that you can’t do the appraisal before you do the taking, and you can’t do the taking before you have approval of the right of way by DOT,” Rockwell explained. “The reason for that is, if you do the appraisal early and there’s a time lag, appraisals can go stale.”
Temporary easements can expire, said Rockwell. He said establishing a timeline will be more fruitful once the town gains its environmental approvals. As a simple project, he remains confident but doesn’t know how long the state government agencies will take.
Hills said the easements is something the town will have to budget for. Rockwell said there are six landowners and eight easements. He said all landowners elected to get an appraisal as provided by the federal government for oversight purposes. He anticipates paying at least two of the landowners because those properties carry liens.
Hills sought to confirm the 2025 schedule anticipated by the Southeastern Regional Planning and Development District (SRPEDD). He asked Rockwell is he thinks that is doable. Rockwell said it is but considers his to be “two cents worth of an opinion … I’m not predicting anymore, I’ll just give you a progress update.”
Rockwell also gave an update on the Point Road Bike Path, an 8-foot-wide gravel path with a 2-foot shoulder and 1-foot no obstruction. He called it a “standard, bike-path design.”
Slowed by COVID-related delays and other obstacles, Rockwell said MOSAC focused its efforts on the stretch between Jenna and Joanne Drive.
He said that Eversource was working on site and agreed to cut down trees that the town needed to take down for the path. That saved the town a lot of money, said Rockwell, noting that he had underestimated the number of large trees that had to come down.
A bid process just completed for grinding stumps and grubbing out topsoil has MOSAC ready to contact the low bidder. A retaining wall is needed to achieve a level path.
The original budget of $223,000 in construction costs (Creek Road to Jenna Drive) had a $44,000 construction contingency. There are also related values, he said, of permitting $10,000, 30B administration $5,000, survey work $65,000, and design engineering $37,000. Rockwell told the Select Board that these are all “in-kind services provided by the committee … as a match to our grant.”
The Select Board approved a Common Victualer License application filed by Josh Naughton of J. Naughton Seafood, LLC, 173 Wareham Road.
Naughton told the board he is going to take over the old Seahorse Seafoods location and rebrand the business as J. Naughton Seafood. “It’s going to be same purpose, I’m going to operate it as it has been prior, just updating it a little bit and putting my touch to it …”
Naughton said he would start with full retail and maybe next year get into the wholesale side of the seafood business. Naughton said he will steam lobsters for customers, but the market will not have dining on the premises. He said the market will sell 90% fresh product.
The board approved moving a NSTAR Electric Company (dba Eversource Energy) utility pole on Spring Street (FO Pole 100/26-A) approximately 20 feet north/northwest. Tabor Academy, the lone abutter, did not comment.
In his Town Administrator Report, Gorman updated the board on the new Marine Center, noting that front-end documents have been legally reviewed, and the remaining funding shortfall of $1,200,000 will be brought before voters at the October 23 Special Town Meeting, funded from the Waterways account. The town is also researching seawall repair as it is linked to the new construction in both footprint and function.
The new Department of Public Works building has reached the beginning of the construction phase, and the goal is to hold the final Planning Board public hearing by early September.
Marion has the option to acquire an additional 1,600 feet of cold storage with two modular buildings from the Lockheed Martin site that would be free of charge to the town. The structures need new skin and roofing. Parker said they are made of red iron and steel frame. Gorman believes they could become storage opportunities for smaller items.
The October Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 23, at Sippican Elementary School, and the Special Town Election will be held on October 27.
Items anticipated at Special Town Meeting include the Marine Center, a potential debt exclusion for the Town House (ADA compliance and sprinkler addition), and any shortfalls from collective bargaining.
Gorman recommended a warrant cutoff date of October 3 (Select Board meeting), posting the warrant and sending it to the printer on October 5 and mailing it out to voters on October 13. The deadline to submit articles for the warrant would be September 11.
Zoning Board of Appeals Chairperson Cynthia Callow said she wants to put in an article for Town Meeting.
Gorman said Marion’s speed-limit changes have been delayed. The authority to alter speed limits, said Gorman, does not necessarily lie with the municipality, and the state has requested more data and information that is outside the scope of the engineering study the town paid for.
To mitigate a potential $44,000 in additional costs to satisfy the state, Gorman said the town will try to add to the study on its own. Gorman said the town has the authority to set a single speed limit. Select Board Chairman Toby Burr noted that Mattapoisett has done that.
The Select Board approved Marion’s participation in the Southcoast Public Health Collaborative Inter-Municipal Agreement (IMA). Lori Desmarais, the town’s health director, explained the benefits of the program. The Town of Westport is hosting the partnership and managing the FY24 $432,769 grant, which funds a full-time manager and inspector and would hold liability insurance.
Gorman said KP Law reviewed the IMA, and the Board of Health approved.
In addition to benefits towns would derive on an as-needed basis, Desmarais explained that Marion Health Agent Shallyn Rodriguez’s required course work for Sole Evaluator and Health Inspector, items formerly funded by the town, will be covered by the collaborative under provisions of the IMA.
Katrina “Tinker” Saltonstall was reappointed to the Music Hall Advisory Committee, Alex Hansell was appointed as an associate member of the Conservation Commission, and Eileen Marum was appointed as a member of the Affordable Housing Trust.
In other business, the board approved election workers.
In discussing bringing back the swap shed at the Benson Brook Transfer Station, Parker said Marion representatives will visit a swap shed in another town. A volunteer training session will be held.
Vine Street resident Mindy Pasco-Anderson addressed the board, complimenting Needham’s swap shed and noted that residents there work off a portion of their taxes by working at the swap shed. Parker explained that Marion has a workoff program for seniors.
He added that Carver-Marion-Wareham Regional Landfill Authority owned the prior swap shed in town that shut down. He said Marion is looking at Hingham’s swap shed as a model and noted the importance of a time limit.
Parker invited Pasco-Anderson to the thinktank for the project.
The board approved acceptance of three donations: $1,000 from the Procter family; $6,988.91 from the Friends of Marion Recreation for a merry-go-round at Silvershell Beach; and $1,000 from the Friends of the Marion Council on Aging for two years of irrigation-system maintenance.
After DPW engineer Meghan Davis informed a discussion on a requested water connection at 124 Aucoot Road, Mattapoisett, the Select Board voted the connection’s approval.
Davis said three homeowners will share in the service, and all the infrastructure will be on the Marion side of the town line. Only the 1-inch water line will extend into Mattapoisett to the property in question. The homeowner estimated 50 feet from the meter pit to his proposed, single-family house.
In response to a Water/Sewer Abatement request of $1,058.66 at 28 Pumping Station Road, the board voted to approve an abatement $1,017.19 based on the account average for this quarter. A since-repaired leak in the crawl space led to abnormally high charges. Hills recused himself from the case.
Acting on the DPW’s recommendation, the board disapproved a $2,023.23 Water/Sewer Abatement request at 45 Parkway Lane.
The board approved Water/Sewer commitments (final readings) of $722.76 (June 23) and a credit of $855.67 (July 13).
Gorman acknowledged the research of the town’s Energy Management Committee regarding the proposed solar project at Benson Brook Road Landfill.
Gorman has received his Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) designation.
The Beverly Yacht Club will hold its Junior Regatta August 15-16 and has reserved Silvershell facilities.
The Marion Town Party will be held August 26 from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm at Silvershell Beach.
The next meeting of the Marion Select Board was not announced upon adjournment.
Marion Select Board
By Mick Colageo