Scott Snow, represented by G. deJesus of Prime Engineering, came before the Mattapoisett Conversation Commission March 25 meeting with a Notice of Intent application for a five-lot subdivision located at 6 and 8 Prospect Road and the construction of a private way named Parsons Lane.
The scope of the proposed subdivision includes the movement of an existing home and the development of two new lots. The subdivision would also include other existing homes, bringing the subdivision total to five residences. Unclear at the present time, however, is how the residences would handle sanity requirements – would it be by tying into the municipal sewer system or by private septic systems?
According to deJesus, test pits had not been dug, nor had any approval been sought from the Board of Health; those plans, he said, would be developed later if necessary. As of now, no meeting with the Water and Sewer Commission has been set.
With so much still undecided, Chairman Mike King asked, ”We’re kind of in a Catch-22 situation – how can we approve a plan we don’t know?”
The property in question currently held two sewer betterments, so a plan to tie all five homes was viable, stated deJesus. But, absent any conclusion from the Water & Sewer Department, no further plans were in play.
King said, given that the issue of sewer capacity is not a sure thing, the Water & Sewer Commission would approve new services. Furthermore, the conceptual plans have not received any comments from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and, said King, although he thinks the overall project is a good one, without fully crafted plans for the sanity needs of the residences, the commission couldn’t render a decision on what was being presented, namely stormwater management designs.
Snow came forward saying he had “just wanted to talk” about the project and receive feedback from the commission; he hadn’t anticipated receiving conditioning on this night.
Regarding the stormwater management system deJesus put forward, the commission found no issues, with King saying that a detention pond on the site was a good plan for allowing water to recharge slowly into the ground.
“I walk down that way and it is notoriously wet,” said King.
Highway Superintendent Barry Denham asked that the commission consider hiring a peer review consultant, and deJesus said that the Planning Board had already hired one. The Planning Board will meet with Snow during its April 1 meeting.
The commission continued Snow’s discussion until April 15.
Also coming before the board was Mike Huguenin of the Mattapoisett Land Trust (MLT) with a Request For Determination of Applicability for the Hammond Quarry property located off Mattapoisett Neck Road.
The MLT had waited months for clearance from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife regarding the presence of endangered species. The MLT plans to construct a walking trail through the parcel, remove fallen trees, and install 80 to 160 feet of ‘bog boards’ across sections of standing water or deep mud.
A letter dated March 13 from the Division approved of the project so long as the MLT followed certain conditions including the use of hand tools exclusively, the installation of turtle protection in the proposed parking area, and if work was to occur between July 2 and April 14 at any time in the future, the applicant would file a turtle protection plan and that the plan would be prepared by a qualified biologist. Furthermore, any plants used for restoration must be of a native variety.
The project received a Negative 3 determination from the commission, allowing the project to move forward.
Wetlands located a bit further down Mattapoisett Neck Road were discussed earlier in the evening when Joe Costa of the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program came before the commission with an RDA for a multi-year study of marshlands. Costa described the study, which will include the installation of sighting poles along the marsh.
“We want to determine what is happening with the saltmarsh,” Costa said, adding that crab species and other wildlife would be studied and recorded as well.
Costa said the area has already experienced the impact of sea levels rising.
The project received a Negative 3 determination.
The commission approved the Notice of Intent for Timothy Soule, 9 Central Drive, for the construction of a new home, while one filed by Paula Coffey, 64 Shore Drive, was continued until April 15 pending complete engineered drawings of the foundation of the proposed new home.
Howard Rottler, 23 Channel Street, received RDA approval for the construction of a wheelchair lift, and Jeffrey Roberts, 5 Woodlawn Avenue, was approved for the renovation of a deck.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for April 15 at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall conference room.
Mattapoisett Conversation Commission
By Marilou Newell