The Marion Conservation Commission began reviewing the wetlands flagging along the proposed Marion bike path route, and on November 30, Chairman of the Marion Pathway Committee John Rockwell went before the ConCom to discuss the commission’s findings on a recent site walk.
The site walk is being broken up into sections for a thorough examination of the long stretch of pathway that runs from the Mattapoisett town line to where Brew Fish is located, crossing Route 105 following the old trolley line into Washburn Park, and then running parallel to Interstate 195 to Point Road.
Rockwell said that he and fellow pathway committee member Jeff Oakes conducted most of the wetlands flagging over the summer.
Conservation Commission member Cynthia Callow said she walked “half of a half” on that previous Saturday and found some of the flags missing and asked if those flags would be placed before construction was started.
“They will be located as part of the construction project,” said Rockwell, assuring Callow that her concern over construction workers knowing the precise locations of wetlands was accounted for.
“We only had a chance to look at part of the process,” said commission member Norm Hills, “and there’s still more to do. Obviously,” he continued, “we’re going to have to continue this and now we’re into hunting season…. The only time you can safely go out there … would be on a Sunday some time before the [winter] weather….”
ConCom member Joel Hartley addressed the part that runs from the Mattapoisett town down the old railroad bed.
“I’ve run that before,” said Hartley, emphasizing a good look is required at the site. “There are a lot of wet areas, almost like a stream down there.”
Callow suggested a plan to divide the sections amongst the commission members over the course of several site walks. Rockwell commented that the walk could easily take up to two hours at least. He added that design work is well underway, although the project is still significantly behind schedule due to surveying taking longer than anticipated.
Construction on the bike path will not begin until at least the summer of 2018, according to Rockwell.
After a couple of concerns from abutters, including Joe Zora who is currently in dispute with the Town over land at Parlowtown Road he claims rightfully belongs to his family, the commission deemed the matters beyond the scope of the commission’s jurisdiction.
“This will just approve the wetlands line,” said commission member Shaun Walsh. “It doesn’t approve any of the work by the applicant for this project.”
The public hearing was continued until on December 14 at 7:00 pm, the next scheduled meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission, located at the Marion Town House.
By Jean Perry