With one of the lightest agendas this group has seen in months, the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission discussed a big question – big in terms of acreage, that is.
Alan Decker of the Buzzards Bay Coalition met with the commissioners on February 27 seeking support for the acquisition of a 53-acre parcel at the corner of Mattapoisett Neck Road and state Route 6. Decker asked the commissioners to sign a letter acknowledging their support.
Decker explained that the property in question, known simply as “the old quarry,” could be the “front door” in Mattapoisett to the Nasketucket Bay State Reservation.
“The Town, in partnership with the coalition and the Mattapoisett Land Trust, has the opportunity to apply for a Massachusetts Land and Water Conservation grant in the amount of $300,000 towards the purchase price,” Decker said.
Decker said the coalition would seek to have a conservation restriction placed on the property as part of the deal, ensuring protection of the property into perpetuity.
Regarding other funding sources, Decker said that the Massachusetts Land and Water Conservation fund has already committed $250,000 to the effort and that fundraising activities by the MLT have begun.
Other funding sources may also come from the Town’s Community Preservation Act fund, Decker said, and that an application had been submitted to that committee. Decker said the plan was to go before Town Meeting in the spring with the support of the selectmen. Decker said that he’d be meeting with the selectmen on March 1.
Chairman Bob Rogers said of the letter, “So this puts our best foot forward in seeking this grant.” Decker concurred.
Decker described the parcel as being contiguous to the bike path and other MLT properties linking them with the state reservation east of this parcel and that nearly half of the monies needed could come from this one funding source.
The commissioners unanimously agreed to sign the letter of support.
In other business, a thrice reviewed Notice of Intent application submitted by Donna McCaffery, 16 Cove Street, finally received an Order of Conditions, clearing one more hurdle as she seeks to build a single family home on a barrier beach parcel. New plans that noted the use of concrete paving blocks versus poured concrete were submitted. Representative Richard Charon of Charon Associates said that the DEP had not commented further on the revised plans.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for March 13 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.
By Marilou Newell