Satisfied that their concerns articulated during a September 5 public hearing had been effectively addressed, the Marion Planning Board voted 4-1 to approve the Minor Site Plan Review for construction of the Town of Marion’s new Maritime Center at Island Wharf.
On Monday night, Tim Sawyer of Catalyst Architects spoke to several matters, including questions posed by the board regarding the project’s coordination with Fire Chief Brian Jackvony and the Department of Public Works. Sawyer said final details will be worked out at a meeting on Thursday.
A fire-service line is not required as part of the project, but Sawyer said the town wants it done. He said that he will price it out to potentially add to and absorb into the project, or Marion Facilities Director Shaun Cormier will add the feature as “an improvement” alongside the many his department conducts as a matter of course. Cormier is also serving as the project manager.
In reviewing the draft decision, Planning Board Vice Chairman Andrew Daniel requested that a preconstruction meeting be held with Cormier and Building Inspector Bob Grillo to make sure everything is in synch.
“It’s a little hit or miss whether town departments require (a preconstruction meeting),” said Sawyer. “We do it because it sets the project up on the right course … initial due diligence … we do it regardless.”
Board Chairman Tucker Burr recused himself from the proceedings and would again in another case heard on Monday night.
The one dissenting vote on the Maritime Center came from Eileen Marum, whose opposition based on climate change was articulated during the September 5 Planning Board meeting when she suggested the town place the harbormaster’s office in a trailer that can be abruptly removed from Island Wharf during a tropical storm or sea-level rise.
Marum also shared her opinion with The Wanderer in print.
In part, her position paper reads, “The construction of a 1,700 square-foot harbormaster building 23.5 feet in the air in a funnel-shaped harbor off a funnel-shaped bay in a hurricane-susceptible area … is unwise on so many levels. … The building’s height and stilt-like construction … may not withstand the forces of wind shear and storm surges leading to erosion, structural damage and possible collapse.”
During his September 5 presentation, Sawyer called the two-year design for a new facility “significantly larger but still modest.” He said the new facility will measure 1,700 square feet of office space and small meeting space.
The new building will sit in the northeast corner of the site. The bathrooms underneath the current facility will remain, but the construction on top of those will be deconstructed, opening the view.
Being in the Velocity Flood Zone poses ramifications for design and construction according to Sawyer, who pointed out on his site plan a line of demarcation between Elevations 19 and 21. The Maritime Center construction will lie entirely within the 19-flood elevation, and Sawyer said grade is approximately 6 feet, meaning the new construction must be significantly elevated.
With the required 2 additional feet above grade to the lowest point of construction, the resultant floor elevation will be 23.5 feet above sea level and approximately 16 feet above grade.
The underside space will be used for storage of currently scattered materials and equipment. Air can flow through, as well as tides. Two things allowed under the flood elevation are parking and storage.
Parking will remain in the same area. There will be a second handicapped space added to the one accompanying the current 14-car capacity.
When Marum addressed her concerns during the September 5 discussion, she referred to best practices as defined by the state after a Coastal Zone Management examined six sites, including Marion. Daniel suggested that Marum was getting off topic from the vetting process and asked Marum what she would consider a solution.
“I think the solution is to put a trailer there and haul out the trailer (in the event of a storm or other event causing sea-level rise),” she argued.
Sawyer clarified that the codes and FEMA maps guiding the current design “have built-in resiliency. They’re not looking at a snapshot of today, they’re looking into the future too,” he said. “They understand that if you’re building something for now, you’re really building it for 25, 30 years down the road. Even though it’s built by today’s design standards, there is resiliency built into that as well.”
Marum reiterated that the last time Sawyer was before the board he said the building was being designed to current code, which she argued will change and keeps changing.
Other members grilled Sawyer on September 5.
Member Alanna Nelson asked what updates are being planned for 15 or 20 years when it’s time for the town to take care of its buildings. Pointing to regular maintenance, Sawyer said the concrete piles are not going to deteriorate. He also noted that the sea wall is not within the scope of the Maritime Center construction project.
Daniel asked about the additional restroom and two sinks as they may affect existing sewer infrastructure, namely a shallow, gravity-fed sewer line. Sawyer said there were more coordination meetings to be held with the DPW and Water/Sewer departments. “Both parties feel that it’s doable, but it has to be coordinated very closely,” he said.
Referencing insufficient water lines as a cause for the Mattapoisett Boatyard fire, Daniel also addressed the water side of the Island Wharf construction, noting that the new Maritime Center does not have the square footage necessary to require a sprinkler system. Sawyer said he would seek confirmation from the fire chief and allowed for the potential of a group decision to install a pump station now. Jones said it would be nice to upgrade the system but said it can be done at any point.
Referencing Interim Harbormaster Adam Murphy’s comment about a broken bio swale, Marum articulated her concern that sodium chloride will contaminate the sea water and asked about the situation going forward. Sawyer pointed out one bio swale and identified it as the only one connected to the Maritime Center construction project, and he said it has been tested and has been confirmed to be working properly.
Sawyer estimated construction cost at $2,950,000, noting that $1,600,000 in grant funding has been awarded to the project. Murphy has estimated that Marion has spent $300,000 of those funds. If voters approve at the October 23 Special Town Meeting, an amount approximating the remaining $1,350,000 will be appropriated from the Waterways Account, which consists of harbor-related fees.
“Just commenting again on the size real quick, I’ve done multiple harbormaster facilities, this is by far the smallest,” said Sawyer.
The law is complicated when it comes to self-storage – it’s not in the list of approved uses for land zoned in Marion for business – but the Planning Board made clear during Monday night’s public meeting that it is firmly behind the town getting its first self-storage facility.
In a continued public hearing on a self-storage facility on Luce Avenue as proposed by Dena Xifaras and Mike Papadakis, the question facing the board was whether a special permit for a self-storage facility could be legally granted pursuant to Town of Marion Code Section 237.2 General Requirements
Burr recused himself from this case because Burr Brothers Boats owns the neighboring building that houses Marion Indoor Tennis club.
Referencing the September 5 public hearing, Xifaras reported to the board that the neighboring towns of Mattapoisett and Wareham include self-storage in their approved uses for industrially zoned land.
Technical language had been brought by Town Planner Doug Guey-Lee to the attention of Town Counsel, and he felt obligated to let the board know that Town Counsel identified sticking points to the approval.
But the board was determined to find a way to vet a usage that while not explicitly approved by the town, it was not in the members’ opinion counter to the intention of town regulations and bylaws.
Xifaras found support in her contention that self-storage is not a very intense use, nor does it heavily draw on town resources. She said the plan is to start with a one-level facility with the potential to add a second level. She and Papadakis said the most they would consider going is three levels.
Jones, who enthusiastically supports the project, said that there is a great need for self-storage in Marion. Surrounding towns with self-storage have potential customers on a waiting list. Jones acknowledged that vehicular traffic will be an issue when the business opens, and he asked Xifaras if she can schedule people coming in. Xifaras said the business would run by appointment with a staggered schedule.
While Mattapoisett has two self-storage facilities, Rochester is currently entertaining an application for such a business along Route 58.
The board voted without special conditions unanimously to approve a Special Permit for the purposes of designing and presenting a site plan that the board would vet in full detail.
“We’ll be back,” said Xifaras.
The legal issue will resurface next spring at the Annual Town Meeting, where the Planning Board hopes to see two new bylaws approved by voters, one adding self-storage to the list of approved uses and another addressing short-term rentals, a hot topic this past summer especially in Marion’s coastal villages.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Sherman Briggs’ application for a Special Permit to continue activities at Spring and Mill Streets pursuant to the Code of Marion Chapter 230-7.2 General Requirements and 230-8.11.C Erosion Control was continued to October 2 at 7:35 pm.
At the request of the applicant, the continued public hearing for a Special Permit and Major Site Plan Review for Matt Zuker’s The Cottages development at 78 Wareham Road was continued to November 6 at 7:05 pm.
The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, October 2, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station.
Marion Planning Board
By Mick Colageo