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As staff to the Planning Board, I managed the
<br />Board's hearing, permitting, performance bond and
<br />inspection processes, including review and permitting
<br />of a number of subdivision and Special Permit
<br />development projects during the year. Lot division
<br />projects approved by the Board included the 46-lot
<br />Cottages at New Seabury Phase III subdivision, a 3-lot
<br />cluster subdivision on Route 28 for SGFS Realty Trust,
<br />and a number of other lots under the "Approval Not
<br />Required" process. Special Permits included review
<br />and approval of the Northbridge assisted living facility
<br />and the Naukabout Beer Company microbrewery and
<br />brew pub (which I look forward to visiting in my
<br />retirement), and Special Permit and site plan
<br />modifications for Willowbend, Southport, Windchime
<br />Point and 168 Industrial Drive. Other work included a
<br />number of zoning by-law proposals, road covenant
<br />releases, street name hearings and reviews and
<br />recommendations on proposed Town road takings.
<br />Work also continued on the Board's "Mashpee
<br />Greenways" project, for which I negotiated a trail
<br />license regarding rights and liability issues with
<br />Mashpee Commons. The Board sought and received
<br />Community Preservation Act funding at the May Town
<br />Meeting for construction of a pedestrian bridge over
<br />the Quashnet River as part of a trail from the Commons
<br />to Mashpee Middle High School, the first segment of
<br />the Greenways project. The goal of the project is to
<br />provide the citizens of Mashpee with public spaces to
<br />enjoy within the de -facto center of the town, which
<br />would also serve as a hub, tied in all directions to our
<br />extensive network of nature trails.
<br />Aside from discussions of the Greenways project,
<br />I also met extensively with the developers of Mashpee
<br />Commons regarding planning for future phases of the
<br />project, including their "East Steeple Street" and "Trout
<br />Pond" neighborhoods, including future road relocation
<br />and development concepts.
<br />Given a staff limited to only myself, despite the
<br />much -appreciated October 2015 and May 2016 Town
<br />Meeting votes to fund the Assistant Planner position,
<br />and the Planning Board's decision to focus on its
<br />Greenways plan and ongoing project reviews, little
<br />could be done on the update of our Comprehensive
<br />Plan.
<br />In addition to assisting the Planning Board with
<br />permit reviews and other tasks, the Department
<br />undertakes other assignments from the Board of
<br />Selectmen or Town Manager, assists the Inspections
<br />Department, Conservation Commission, Historic
<br />District Commission, Historical Commission, Sewer
<br />Commission, Town Counsel, Assessing Department,
<br />Affordable Housing Committee, ZBA, Mashpee
<br />Housing Authority, EDIC and other boards,
<br />committees and departments with their activities and
<br />responds to frequent requests from developers, realtors,
<br />appraisers, attorneys, consultants, landowners, other
<br />town planners, planning students, residents and others
<br />with planning, zoning, land use, traffic, land title and
<br />similar requests for information and assistance. In 2016
<br />those included 530 phone calls, 172 office visits and
<br />2,326 email requests.
<br />During 2016, I continued to serve on the Plan
<br />Review Committee and the Mashpee National Wildlife
<br />Refuge Management Committee. I was also appointed
<br />by the Selectmen to serve as Mashpee's representative
<br />on the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative, which
<br />provides a monthly forum for communications between
<br />the 15 Cape Cod towns on wastewater and water
<br />quality issues, as well as funding for local water quality
<br />improvement projects. The Refuge Management
<br />Committee continued to focus its efforts on planning
<br />for public safety, particularly wildfire hazard
<br />protection, as well as on habitat protection and a
<br />specific project related to rare New England Cottontail
<br />rabbits, primarily through forest clearing to establish
<br />fire breaks, reduce potential wildfire fuel loads and to
<br />restore shrubby "pine barrens" habitat. Work also
<br />continued on trails and access planning for the Refuge,
<br />including development of a new trails map, through a
<br />Trails Subcommittee on which I serve. The other big
<br />Refuge news for the year was the creation of the "Great
<br />Thicket National Wildlife Refuge", which includes
<br />land in six states, including the Mashpee Refuge and
<br />an expanded area in Mashpee and the surrounding
<br />towns. The new Refuge is focused on preserving
<br />habitat for the New England Cottontail and was
<br />approved as an alternative to listing the rabbit on the
<br />Endangered Species List. I also served on a working
<br />group which prepared a proposal to install entrance
<br />signs to the Mashpee Historic District on Main Street
<br />and Great Neck Road North and a series of historical
<br />signs and markers at various historic buildings and sites
<br />in the District and other parts of Mashpee. Community
<br />Preservation Act funding for the project was approved
<br />at the October 2016 Town Meeting.
<br />Other projects worked on and meetings attended
<br />in 2016 included participation in the 4th annual Cape
<br />Coastal Conference, multiple meetings regarding an
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