The August 15 meeting agenda of the Mattapoisett Planning Board was deftly handled with nothing in the way of public matters being heard. However, the board did discuss weighty matters that are pending resolution.
One such matter was the long anticipated Solar Bylaw. Acting Chairman Nathan Ketchel said that meetings with selected interested parties had taken place and that former member and Planning Board point person for the drafting of a new bylaw, Janice Robbins, was still volunteering her time in an effort to craft language acceptable to the town for inclusion in a fall 2022 Town Meeting Warrant.
Ketchel said language regarding zoning-area restrictions for the placement of solar arrays have been removed and some “procedural” text that spoke to decommissioning bonds and stormwater-maintenance bonds have been added or modified. Public hearings will be announced in advance of Town Meeting, it was noted.
Another matter being discussed on Monday night was the issue of defective workmanship and the need for repairs, improvements and completion of roadway construction on Split Rock Lane, a neighborhood within the Bay Club boundaries.
Previously residents of the lane had come forward seeking the board’s assistance in getting corrective actions taken by the developer for a roadway that only had a binder covering and which had evidenced failures including the collapsing of asphalt berms.
Ketchel said that some of the photographic proof of construction defects as presented by members Arlene Fidalgo and Karen Field were construction practices used during the preliminary work in building a permanent roadway, but other photos were concerning. Ketchel said the developer needs to work with an independent consultant working on behalf of the town, but that currently was not in place. He also said the developer should present a punch list with a timeline for actionable to-do’s. The matter will be revisited at the next meeting.
David Andrews, representing the Bay Club on the matter of roadway completion, lot release and a cash bond met with the board briefly. Andrews said a recalculation of monies needed for a roadway bond now that Lot 48 has been released showed a $60,000 gap. He said he would return to the board at the next meeting with a covenant that would include the adjusted bond amount.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, September 19, at 7:00 pm.
Mattapoisett Planning Board
By Marilou Newell