Many Hearings, Few Members

            The Marion Conservation Commission met on May 28 with a handful of members present initially. Those being Chair Matt Shultz, Vice Chair Emil Assing, Associate Member Alex Hansell, and Associate Member Tom Drechsler who joined remotely. Town Planner Doug Guey-Lee also joined remotely. Shultz began by saying “we’re a little short on commission members […] Read more »

Muzzle Order Extended 90 Days

            Georgie the Saint Bernard is still considered a nuisance dog and will have to be muzzled outside of her home until Labor Day.             The Select Board on Tuesday made that decision after learning that the dog, which allegedly attacked another dog in December 2023 at Silvershell Beach, was photographed not wearing a muzzle […] Read more »

Town Clerk Remains An Elected Position

The Rochester Town Election on May 28 defeated a move to make the Town Clerk an appointed, rather than an elected position and sparked a recount in the race for Park Commission.             A total of 349 voters said “yes” to the question of whether to change the Town Clerk to an appointed position instead […] Read more »

Board Advances Key Projects Following Town Meeting

            The Rochester Planning Board meeting on Tuesday started with a sequel to last week’s Annual Town Meeting vote approving a zoning change to the Cranberry Highway Smart Growth Overlay District, site of a 40R residential/mixed use project being proposed for Cranberry Highway and County Road.             Ken Steen of Steen Realty and Development Corporation […] Read more »

Chair David Arancio Steps Down

            Rochester’s Zoning Board of Appeals started its May 22 meeting with its biggest news of the night. Long-time Chairman David Arancio announced he was resigning as of June 12.             Arancio, a corporate health and safety official by trade, has been ZBA Chair for 11 years. His voice cracked with emotion as he read his […] Read more »

Select Board Fields Heated Questions

            The May 27 meeting of the Mattapoisett Select found the members being questioned, at times in a growing heated fashion. The issue being discussed was the passage by simple majority of a Citizen Petition for a warrant article that would increase the Select Board by two. The standing room only audience were nearly all […] Read more »

New Harbormaster Boat Delivered

            The Marion Marine Resources Commission met on May 21 for their first meeting after Town Meeting and the Town Election. Following the approval of the commission’s minutes from their last meeting, the commissioners, along with Harbormaster Adam Murphy, began discussions on the harbor.             Murphy began by saying the town’s new patrol boat has […] Read more »

A Continued Continuance

The Marion Conservation Commission met on Wednesday, May 14 for a continued hearing on the Oren Robinson Revocable Trust 2017’s property at 16 Spinnaker Lane for the Notice of Intent for the reconstruction of a single-family dwelling. Though this was main on the docket, a representative was not present, and a further continuance request was […] Read more »

Farm Stand Hearing Postponed

The May 15 meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals included a Special Permit Application filed by Mike and Elizabeth King for property located at 84 North Street. The agenda item reads, “Case #1563: Petition of Micheal and Elizabeth King, Wyandotte Farm… request to seek a special permit for a Farm to Fork Stand […] Read more »

The Future for Housing Types

The Monday meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board once again found the members exploring possible new land-development options. What began as informal discussions regarding affordable-housing needs and possible impact of ADU’s (accessory dwelling units) in the community grew to include such construction types as ADU, Route 6 corridor bylaws, and more recently “cottage communities.”             […] Read more »