It’s been a year since the Mattapoisett Master Plan Committee began the process of updating the roadmap that will help steer the town toward meeting its goals and expectations for the next decade. No small task on its own, the formation of a think tank during the pandemic has occurred in the virtual world of Zoom meetings, piling onto the hurdles already challenging the committee.
The December 8 meeting introduced the scaling of another high hurdle as the committee began taking deeper dives into individual town departments’ goals and plans associated with the elements of a Master Plan, in some cases working in conjunction with entities tied to the goals and plans such as the Mattapoisett Land Trust and the Historical Commission.
On the agenda for this night was Mattapoisett Harbormaster Jamie McIntosh and Carlos DeSousa, chairman of the Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board. The discussion centered around how the Harbormaster Department and the role of the harbormaster has expanded over the last two years along with the positive impact that expansion has had not only for the boating community but for the town and its residents overall.
McIntosh said that the first goal the town undertook was to have a full-time position for the harbormaster. To that end, McIntosh was hired and began to drill down into the financial condition of the Waterfront Enterprise Fund that was established so that waterways fees paid by boaters would cover the department’s expenses. But it was already known that the fund isn’t sustainable. “We had to look at fees and how we were going to pay for future needs. Waterways fees were recently increased to achieve financial stability of the fund,” McIntosh noted.
McIntosh and DeSousa spoke to the disrepair of the town’s historic wharves, the need to fund engineering studies, designs and finally construction before the wharf foundations degrade any further. Rough cost estimates put a $6,000,000 price tag on that work, they said. McIntosh talked about grant pursuits he may propose, but even with grant funding the town will be facing costs.
McIntosh said he wants to find new ways to utilize the wharf at town beach known as Barstow Wharf, including a potential pulley system for skiffs and kayaks. When asked if the town has suitable access to its coastline, McIntosh said a map could be updated and made available online and at the harbormaster’s office, a map that would show resident and nonresident access points.
McIntosh also discussed the need for a harbor management plan that would map out the department’s own master plan, one that could be added to the overall plan underway.
The Master Plan process is being organized and navigated with the assistance of the Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD,) which has identified the following Master Plan elements for Mattapoisett: Vision of the Future, Land Use, Economic Development, Housing, Open Space and Recreation, Natural and Cultural Resources, Services and Facilities, Transportation and Circulation, Coastal Resilience and Implementation.
Faced with the daunting task of looking at every element within the community including numerous subcategories, the MPC has filled its meeting agendas with topics as diverse as economic development to playgrounds, a study of population data and threats posed by global warming to a seaside town.
Along with DeSousa, MPC members include Bob Burgman, Carole Clifford, Shirley Haley, Colby Rottler, Kate Haley, Donna Shea, Yasmin Flefleh-Vincent, Kate Connelly, David Horowitz, Paul Criscuolo, Nate Ketchel, Mary Dermody, Mike Rosa, Robin LePore, Aaron Smith, Chrystal Walsh, Janice Robbins and Planning Board Chairman Tom Tucker. Pinch-hitting as administrative assistant to the Planning Board and all-around MPC ringleader has been Mike Gagne, the former town administrator. They have all volunteered to help the town and the quality of life for its residents via a Master Plan.
With a June 2022 completion date just two seasons away, the MPC with the assistance of the
SRPEDD will continue scaling hurdles.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Master Plan Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, January 5, at 7:00 pm, at which time the Historical Commission will discuss its role in the community. The MPC will also take up a long list of incomplete discussion items from previous meetings.
Mattapoisett Master Plan Committee
By Marilou Newell