Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express

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Plympton Board of Health Meets: Progress on 59 Parsonage Road

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PLYMPTON– The Plympton Board of Health met on Tuesday, July 19, and discussed a variety of topics, most notably:

• Progress has been made on the closing of 59 Parsonage Road between the USDA and Richmond Poole. An attorney for Mr. Poole was present, and all agreed that the board would first inspect the property to find out if any remaining orders need to be complied with, and then move forward with removing trailers that were left on the property. Now that the process has been agreed upon, it is just a matter of carrying it out.

• Assessors still cannot get access to two homes on Maple Street to determine the number of rooms, which is directly related to the septic system.

• Although rats have been seen in the area, the rat infestation on Upland Road seems to be under control and continues to be monitored.

• The sale of the home on Grove Street where a dumpster company dumped the refuse in the driveway because the dumpster fee went unpaid has fallen through. The dumpster company is unknown, and the garbage has been bagged and is in the backyard of the home now. Ken Thompson of the Board of Health volunteered, on a one-time basis, to help haul away some of the trash, but wanted to make sure that a plan for getting rid of trash was in place for the future.

• A home on Mayflower Road that went into foreclosure also has a rubbish problem; this time trash was just left in the driveway. The lender will be contacted and asked to comply with code.

CPCWC will appeal directly to Brockton water users

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PLYMOUTH COUNTY– On Wednesday, July 13 the Central Plymouth County Water Commissioners met to edit a letter they are sending as a direct appeal to Brockton water consumers.

Only two of the four commissioners were present, although the third appeared by cellphone and the Brockton Commissioner did not attend the meeting.

The thrust of the letter is to make Brockton residents aware of the consequences their water consumption is having on neighboring communities, and their officials’ lack of a response to the issue.

Brockton, which can divert water from the Monponsett Lake into Silver Lake and pumped out as Brockton’s supply, is under the microscope as their diversions are blamed for keeping Monponsett Lake, especially West Pond, stagnant and unhealthy, encouraging cyanobacteria to reproduce.

This summer cyanobacteria numbers have soared as the temperatures have risen, causing MassDEP to recommend closure of West Pond.

This has done little to stop recreational boaters from using the pond, even fishing in it, despite posted warnings that the West Pond of the lake is closed.

A test on Monday, July 11th was even more disturbing than previous tests. According to the MassDEP and local officials, the West Monponsett Pond samples showed cyanobacteria levels of 1,174,000 cells/ml, up from 613,000 cells/ml at 4th Avenue Beach the week before. Last week, 592,000 cells/ml were found at the state boat ramp, and 632,000 cells/ml were found at Ocean Avenue Beach.

This is much higher than the cutoff rate of 70,000 cells/ml that the state considers for human safety.

The East Monponsett sample, collected at the Rt. 36 boat ramp, showed a cyanobacteria level of 14,500 cells/ml, up from 950 cells/ml the week before.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends that the current advisory remain in place, and the town is abiding by that recommendation.

MassDEP plans to collect samples again this week.

Eminent domain off the table: Plympton homes will not lose their Carver back yards

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PLYMPTON/CARVER– At a dramatic meeting of the Carver Urban Redevelopment Authority on Monday, July 18, Carver Town Planner Marlene McCollem informed the authority that it would take just a simple vote to redraw the lines of the area targeted for “redevelopment” in Carver around parcels that straddle the border, in order to get them off a list of properties slated to be taken by eminent domain.

They did just that in a shocking reversal, seemingly unaware of the ongoing discussions residents from Plympton had been having since January 2015, when they were told that they were abutters to an “urban renewal” project. Residents say they have been attending meetings for months to oppose the project, but the Plympton opposition seemed shocking to one member of the board.

Route 44 Development, the self-described “bullish” developer stated they never wanted anything to do with the Plympton parcels that showed up on a list of properties slated for possible seizure by eminent domain.

“65% of your property is in Carver, and you bought the property knowing that?” a board member asked Richard Jackson of Heather’s Path, Plympton, only to be chastised by the Carver Town Planner who noted that it, “is very common along our borders…” to have parcels in Carver and another town.

The Plympton residents have been bolstered by the support of Plympton Selectmen, and present were Christine Joy and John Traynor, who both spoke in support of Plympton residents who will be affected by the proposed large, mixed use development behind Montello Street in the north-west corner of Carver. Montello Street runs through both towns. Traynor spoke of protecting Plympton residents and Joy challenged planners to stop relying so heavily on Montello Street for their concept.

Although several residents of both towns expressed relief about the vote, many continued to express displeasure with the project in general.

One resident, from Carver, is fighting cancer right now as the developer is trying to reach a deal to buy their home. Two other residents from Carver have apparently reached settlements.

A Plympton couple from Montello Street say their mortgage is “underwater” because of the uncertainty with the project, which townspeople have said has always seemed somewhat half-baked to begin with, showing hotels on rivers that don’t exist, and so on.

Residents of Heather’s Path, all with Plympton addresses, don’t believe that any of them could sell their homes right now due to the situation and many have voiced their opposition based on the fear that their home values will plummet should the project move forward.

Eagle Scout Honored by BOS

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PLYMPTON– Selectmen met on Monday, July 11, and held a very brief meeting. Some topics of discussion were the recognition of Jake Ferguson for his Eagle Scout project, as well as the process for putting the town’s legal services out to bid and “office hours” for Selectmen.

Eagle Scout recognized

Jake Ferguson, of Brook Street, along with all the Boy and Girl scouts in Plympton, were honored by the Board on Monday night. Jake, for his Eagle Scout Project, designed and built a receptacle for use at the transfer station for holding old and worn out American flags before proper disposal by the Boy Scouts.

Flags that are worn out should be burned and the ashes buried, with respect and ceremony, according to the VFW.

Ferguson said the receptacle took him about 80 hours to build in his basement.

“We have such a strong scouting program,” remarked Selectman Christine Joy as she and the rest of the Board congratulated Ferguson for his hard work.

Legal services out to bid?

For some time, Selectmen have been exploring the idea of hiring Town Counsel at a flat rate, rather than retaining legal services hourly. They say they are hoping to find savings using this method, although Town Coordinator Dale Pleau has warned, “You get what you pay for.” The Board is trying to get the number down under $47,000, what they last paid to Kopelman and Paige, now known as, “KP | LAW”, the current Town Counsel.

The process for putting the service out to bid is the same as procuring any other service or item for the town, according to Pleau. He will draw up a request for proposal (RFP), which is a solicitation for bids, and advertise the RFP in legal publications. Prospective law firms will competitively bid for the contract.

There is no final draft of the RFP yet.

“Meet a

Selectman”

Selectmen have brought up the idea of holding “office hours” individually, but this is raising some legal questions as well.

The Board is supposed to deliberate about issues in public, and post them on an agenda 72 hours before they meet. If residents are bringing up issues in private, some question as to at what point an issue needs to be deliberated publicly arose, but the Board will have Selectman John Traynor consult with Town Counsel to discuss the matter.

The Town Coordinator thinks this is a non-issue, as citizens can have private conversations with each other without bringing something before the BOS, even Selectmen themselves– as long as they are not deliberating. Unless they discover something illegal going on, he reasoned, there is no reason they couldn’t have office hours and did not think there was any need to spend Town Counsel time on the subject.

• The Plympton Police Department announced they have a new summer intern. Anthony Dimari of Kingston, a UMass Dartmouth criminal justice student, has been with the department for about a month now, and will be working until Aug. 9. 

Chief Patrick Dillon stated that the purpose of the program is to expose students to the realities of the police profession and allowing the intern to deal with “non-critical” administrative tasks.

• Plympton Selectmen will next meet on Monday, July 25, at 6 p.m., Town House

Barking dogs investigated

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HALIFAX– The Halifax Board of Selectmen met and debated a number of items on Tuesday, July 12, although half of a dog hearing, the eighth meeting with Scott Clawson regarding his horse show consent agreement, and the second part of a multi-part earth-removal hearing for the Morse Brothers Cranberry company dominated the discussion.

Dog hearing

Scott Clawson and several neighbors brought forward a dog noise complaint against Jennifer Harmon-Choate, who operates a kennel neighboring Clawson’s property.

Harmon-Choate was not available for the hearing, despite being notified, according to Town Administrator Charlie Seelig.

Despite Ms. Harmon-Choate’s absence, the Board opted to collect evidence, and then continue the hearing until she could be present.

Several neighbors spoke of excessive barking at the kennel, including Clawson, at all hours of the day or night. Clawson’s son even had made an audio recording that he played from for the board.

A neighbor spoke of her children being afraid to play outside due to the noise of barking dogs.

Selectman Kim Roy had done some sleuthing of her own as well, recording audio at various hours of the day, including a recording at 4:51 a.m. where dogs could be heard loudly barking, allegedly from the kennel and recorded at different parts of Clawson’s property.

The hearing was continued.

Fieldstone Farms

The Board and Scott Clawson are very close to agreeing on a new version of the consent agreement Clawson operates under for his horse shows at Fieldstone Farms.  This was the eighth meeting on the subject.

Although the language between the attorney for Clawson and the attorney for the town is close, they have not yet executed a contract, and Clawson sought temporary reprieve for the rest of the summer, adding two show dates, and raising the number of overnight RV’s on his property to 15 for those dates.

The board granted his requests.

Clawson was originally called before the board for advertising more shows this summer than allowed in his agreement with the town, but turned this into an opportunity to negotiate a new contract.

The Board did negotiate further with Clawson and his attorney, and they will be back to, hopefully, execute a new agreement on July 26.

Earth-Removal hearing

The Morse Brothers Cranberry Company, represented by GAF engineering and Bill Madden, was before the Selectmen again to address concerns regarding an earth-removal permit sought by the company for their cranberry operation.

The cranberry growers claim that in order to produce a greater yield, that it is necessary to remove a particular hill and they would like to remove 41,600 cubic yards of earth from the hill in the center of the bogs.

Lingan Street would be the main route for trucks removing the earth, and neighbors and abutters are concerned about such a large amount of truck traffic. They also said they are worried about the vibrations this would cause to their homes, water mains and gas lines buried underground.

Lingan Street is very narrow, said Selectman Chairman Troy Garron, who lives in the area.

Most of all, neighbors were worried about children in the area of large vehicles. Several insisted that truck traffic only be allowed during school hours, when children are not outside playing.

Neighbors seem to be amenable to the project, several noting that Morse Brothers Cranberry Company has been good neighbors to them in the past.

The scale of the project is confusing, though, as various numbers of round-trips have been proposed, ranging from 1,600 to more than 2,000, depending on the size of the truck, and as well a loose time-frame as there is no current destination for the soil.

“It feels like the numbers are being played with,” said Rich Holmes of 13th Avenue.

The hearing was continued.

Special Town Meeting

The Selectmen have called a Special Town Meeting for Monday, July 25, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Halifax Elementary School, 464 Plymouth Street. A copy of the warrant can be read on page 11 of this newspaper or downloaded online. Warrants will also be mailed to all residents the week of July 18.

There will be a voter registration session on Friday, July 15 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Town Hall.

Rat infestation on Upland Road seems under control

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PLYMPTON– The Plympton Board of Health met Tuesday, July 5 and mostly heard updates on old business. Several of the more notable topics addressed were the following:

• Two houses on Maple Street need to be inspected by the assessor in order for the Health Department to ascertain the number of bedrooms, which is directly related to the size required of a property’s septic system. 48 Maple Street is refusing access while 66 Maple Street cannot find a mutually agreeable time for the inspection.

• A rat infestation on Upland Road seems to have abated. A neighbor moved a wood pile where rats seem to have been living, and the properties will be monitored.

• An inspection of a septic system was conducted by a licensed inspector on Bradford Road, but the inspector was not licensed in Plympton. Not all towns require local licensure; many just require state licensure, according to Cathy Drinan, Health Inspector. The Board will fine the company that the inspector works for $150 for the unlicensed inspection.

• Someone sold a Grove Street property, but the culprit cannot yet be ascertained. They left a dumpster in the driveway. The dumpster company was apparently never paid, so they dumped the contents on the driveway itself and left the pile of refuse. The Board of Health isn’t sure who to take action against– normally it would be the buyer, said Drinan, but the dumpster company should not have left the trash on the driveway. Because this was an anonymous complaint, the Board’s options are limited at this point in time.

• The sale of the property at 59 Parsonage Road from the federal USDA Farm Service to Richmond Poole has not closed yet as Mr. Poole’s attorney is traveling in Europe.

Halifax fireworks go off without a hitch

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HALIFAX– While the afternoon activities scheduled on the Town Green almost didn’t happen due to a lack of funding, the Halifax Fourth of July celebration went off as scheduled thanks to a generous last-minute donation from the Halifax Country Club.

The activities included bouncy inflatables, a petting zoo, a balloon artist, face painting, a DJ, as well as games for children. There were also snacks and an ice-cream truck.

Later on in the evening, a large crowd gathered on the lawn behind Halifax Elementary School in preparation for the big fireworks show. Although some of the earlier activities were still available, as the evening got darker townspeople entertained themselves.

Shortly after 9:15 p.m., an approximately 20-minute firework spectacular began to cheers from the crowd. While it was only 20 minutes, the colorful display felt like it lasted for hours.

The only downside was the intense traffic on Route 106 after the celebratory day ended. All-in-all residents from Halifax and surrounding towns appeared to have a wonderful time taking in not only the fireworks, but all of the other happenings offered.

“Not only petty but spiteful”: Jeff Randall’s daughter on neighbors

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PLYMPTON– After a hearing on a gravel removal permit which, due to a clerical error, referenced an incorrect map from nearly a decade ago and will be reissued, Meaghan Randall, daughter of Jeff Randall, wished to let her neighbors know: “stop harassing my family.”

In an emotional statement, the daughter of the farmer who in the last six months has brought the town apparently full-circle in proposing a medical marijuana “grow-facility”, a Chapter 40B mixed-income housing development and finally back to the cranberry and horse-boarding business, accused her neighbors and former friends of “retribution” and “harassment”.

Randall, who lives at Hayward Farms with her parents, stated that she was afraid that the harassment would go on unabated until her father is caused financial hardship through their opposition to various activities that go on at Hayward Farms.

To bolster her claims that these regular complaints to Town House were retribution for the proposed grow facility, she read from a  May 9 e-mail from Sharon Housley of Ring Road that Housley wished to, “establish a record that Mr. Randall does not follow regulations put forth by the town.”

She called the neighbors on Ring Road, three couples which she specified by name, “not only petty but spiteful,” and stated that she worked with High School students that had better manners.

She also accused them of spreading false information, eye-rolling, laughing at her parents, and ‘snarky’ comments.

Chris Housley of Ring Road responded briefly and mentioned again the history of trucks bringing dirt onto the farm, something that had been discussed in terms of the gravel removal permit, although the dirt has nothing to do with gravel removal, says Jeff Randall.

Randall says that dirt is brought onto the farm, mixed with horse manure, and sold as compost. For that operation, Randall has agreed to limit truck traffic, although he asserts that he does not have to because it is an agricultural by-product. Neighbors are complaining of truck-traffic very early in the morning, which Mr. Randall denies.

The Selectmen are clarifying that assertion.

One neighbor said that they had been “letting this go for years.”

Plympton BOS 6-27-16

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PLYMPTON– The Plympton Board of Selectmen held a lengthy meeting on Monday, June 27 and along with continuing a gravel permit hearing– see accompanying article– they discussed matters as various as choosing a locking system for Town House, Selectman John Traynor’s “talent bank”, and overall compliance with zoning and permitting rules.

Locks for Town House

The Selectmen discussed last week how too many people had keys to Town House and some possible solutions for replacing the locks.

One idea was an electronic card reader, that either reads a magnetic stripe or uses radio-frequency chip, such as in a bank or hotel as a “key-card” system. Town Administrator Dale Pleau researched these types of systems, and noted that they would cost “thousands of dollars” for even the simplest of systems. Although they do have advantages, such as central computerized logging of all access, the Board agreed with Pleau that the expense was too great.

The Selectmen chose the option of “re-keying” the door– or simply changing the locks– and being much more careful with which Board and Committee members receive keys after the locks are changed.

Selectman Christine Joy wants the keys to be non-duplicable, even if that is an additional cost.

Talent Bank

Although he wants to get away from the wording, “talent bank”, the concept, such as the one that exists in Halifax is something that Selectman John Traynor has brought with him to the Board.

He would like townspeople who are interested in volunteering with the Town in some way, but do not have a specific idea of how they would like to volunteer to fill out a form that would be retained on file and the town could contact that individual as necessary.

He also wishes to identify those in Town with specific skills that might be needed, and target them by asking them to volunteer.

Traynor has been working diligently to see how programs work in surrounding communities, but he does want to do more thorough research and not rush things in Plympton.

He is planning on pushing back implementing the concept until the end of the summer as he continues to refine the plans.

Compliance

The Board says that it has come to their attention that many Townspeople are simply skipping dealing with Town House altogether, and striking it out on their own when starting a construction project or the like.

This is illegal, and can be dangerous.

The Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Colleen Thompson warned residents that they do in fact need to pull the appropriate permits and that violators will be dealt with appropriately.

The Board is considering taking out a newspaper advertisement to drive this point home. They also wish to inform residents that once they have a permit in hand, they need to follow the rules and stipulations on that permit.

Standing their ground: Property owners standing up to eminent domain threat

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Imagine that you bought your dream house in a bucolic neighborhood on a tree-lined cul-de-sac called Heather’s Path in Plympton.

Yes, there is a busy street nearby, and some light commercial property, but plenty of vegetation blocking any of that. When you bought the property, you knew there might be a chance of further development, but that was not a primary concern.

And then a certified letter showed up in the mail in January, 2015 showing a giant development to be built behind you. Each iteration gets larger, and stranger. A hotel going up behind Tractor Supply? On a river that doesn’t exist? This couldn’t be real, right?

But it is.

And not only that, one to three residents of Plympton whose property straddle the Carver/Plympton line are having their Carver property threatened to be taken by eminent domain.

This is Melissa Singletary’s nightmare. Her back yard will be nearly eliminated should the project move forward as proposed. Singletary is terrified that she will have to walk away from her home after living their just 2 1/2 years.

“This is my retirement. A lot of sleep has been lost thinking about this,” in the last 18 months, she says. Other neighbors, Nancy and Gordon Massingham of Montello Street may lose their driveway, while other long-time residents cannot imagine the changes to their neighborhood that the development will bring, especially those who live on Montello Street and Heather’s Path.

Jeanne Winslow, of Heather’s Path, said she had received a notice from the Carver Planning Board that up to 30-50 trucks a day would pass through the Plympton section of Montello Street during the construction phase, raising safety issues.

The developer, Route 44 Development, has proposed the project. The latest iteration of the proposal, according to residents, references a U.S. Supreme Court case involving New London, CT granting expansion in the eminent domain powers of governments, allowing private property to be taken for commercial development if it benefits a city or town.

Carver Selectman Alan Dunham has said previously that the project will not include a hotel, and is still in the early stages of planning. But despite his assurances of plans being in the early stage, the Carver Redevelopment Authority just sent the plans to a consultant for further updates. Recently provided plans look quite detailed.

This group of residents has been appealing to the Carver Selectmen and the Carver Redevelopment Authority, but those land-owners or neighbors are not having their voices heard, they say.

“We are being treated like second-class citizens [by the Carver authorities],” said Singletary. “We are nothing to them.”

The group has said that they have come up with multiple solutions that would alleviate their concerns, only to have their fears fall on deaf ears.

The situation continues to be volatile.