Rochester’s Water Commission on November 13 granted the Hobby Barn now under construction on New Bedford Road access to the public water main there.
The board approved Briggs Brains LLC Project Manager Jason Maurer’s request to permit a two-inch connection to supply the two buildings being constructed on the property with domestic water service and another six-inch water main connection for fire prevention service.
“These are not buildings that will be occupied all the time,” Maurer said. “It is expected the maximum usage volume will not exceed 300 to 400 gallons per day. But this is an occasional-use building without set hours so many days there will be a fraction of the maximum usage.”
Ultimately, the board allowed the connection but restricted the Hobby Barn to water usage not to exceed 300 gallons of water per day. “It will be no more than the usage level of a residential home,” Maurer promised.
‘Briggs Hobby Barn’ is a plan to construct two buildings to store and repair collectible automobiles, trucks, and other motor vehicles on 2.8 acres on New Bedford Road. It received a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals on May 23 and a site plan review permit from the Planning Board on June 11 Maurer said in his letter to the board that the project will be used only by the owner, Mark Briggs and his wife, and their personal guests as a private facility.
In other business, commission chair Fred Underhill announced a public hearing will be held on November 19 on Zoom concerning 27 acres of land that the Buzzards Bay Coalition has purchased on New Bedford Road opposite Cushman Road. There is a Marion well in the area, Underhill explained, and all parties want to make sure that water is protected.
Underhill also announced that the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District is holding a regional meeting on that same date, at 4:00 pm, also entirely on Zoom. This meeting, he said, will include the Water Departments, selectmen, and town administrators from Mattapoisett and surrounding towns, including the Wareham and Middleboro water departments. “Everybody will be there to see what each other is doing,” he said. He added that the public may attend but the meeting will be all-business.
The Rochester Water Commission’s next meeting will be Wednesday, January 8 at 4:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Water Commission
By Michael J. DeCicco