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Friday, September 29, 2017
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Westport
school project’s last pieces are slowly falling into place.
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Revisiting
Westport’s new agri-entertainment
bylaw forces local farmer’s appeal to Zoning Board. Westport’s Building Commission, Ralph Souza, denied an
entertainment license saying the town’s bylaw is too loose, and should be
addressed to tighten it up. EverythingWestport.com Friday,
September 29, 2017 Photos |
EverythingWestport.com
Special Correspondent to EverythingWestport.com WESTPORT – Some say that Weatherlow Farms’ bid
to become a wedding and event spot represents the next chapter of farming in
town. Some say it could represent a nuisance for a Sodom Road neighborhood
that fears the uptick in traffic, noise and possible public drunkenness. For well over an hour at a Sept 6 meeting, the ZBA
deliberated over the farm’s bid for expansion after Zoning Commissioner Ralph
Souza denied the proposal on grounds of parking and other issues. In his
letter, Souza ordered owner Ryan Wagner, whose farm is on 845 Sodom Road, to cease any activity related to
weddings or events. Souza said that activity is not within the scope of
agricultural use.
It hasn’t been an easy ride for the Russell family, whose work might
have paved the path for the Weatherlow Farms’
expansion. The Westport River Vineyards & Winery, on Hix
Bridge Road, has offered a summer concert series for more than five years
now. The Friday night staple of summer has offered acoustic and other similar
styles at a reasonable price during the summer months. The concert series has
packed the winery lawns with hundreds of cars, as well as live summer music
that neighbors have taken issues with. The Russell family has worked to appease neighbors but still have said
that agritourism is important to farmers today.
Town Agricultural Commissioner Chairman Ed Ferreira concurred at the Sept 6
hearing, saying that farmers must do anything these days “to get an
edge.” Wagner and his lawyer Frank DeLuna harped on
that at the Sept 6 hearing, saying that the Wagner farm is an APR farm, and would
use at its wedding and functions the flowers, cattle and other meats that are
produced on the farm. Three ZBA members toured the property on
Saturday in preparation for the next hearing on Oct. 4. Jon Alden, of
Everythingwestport.com, took photos and joined the officials. Wagner, who has been in business since 2014, told the ZBA in September that he raises cows, chickens, and other
birds for meat and slaughter and raises flowers for a clientele that
stretches as far to the Boston area. Wagner told the ZBA that he has a background
in conservation and animal rights, and his farm is a recent endeavor for him.
Alden’s visit, along with the ZBA on Sept.
15, validated some of Wagner’s information. Alden noted the half of Wagner’s 200-acre
property is woodlands, and the farm has a forestry management program in
place that allows the farm to also sell some firewood. “Mr. Wagner has 10,000 square feet of greenhouses for his flower stock
which he primality sells to designers.” Alden said. The property is home to a 1780 farmhouse, and will soon sport a new farmstand to sell directly to the public. Weatherlow Farm raises grass-fed beef, lamb, and several
varieties of birds including chickens and eggs. Wagner sells meat and poultry
products directly to chefs, direct from the farm (CSA program), and through
farmer’s markets. The new barn was built by Dartmouth-based Southcoast
Post and Beam and is currently home to his retail/wholesale cut flower Wagner noted he employs from 6 to 12 people depending on the season. DeLuna noted that Wagner’s proposed activity
represents the spirit of agri-entertainment and agritourism. “It is consistent with the legal memorandum by MDAR
(the state Department of Agricultural Resources) and these activities are
considered agritourism,” DeLuna
said. According to the state website, “the Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program is a voluntary
program which is intended to offer a non-development alternative to farmers
and other owners of ‘prime’ and ‘state important’ agricultural land who are
faced with a decision regarding future use and disposition of their farms.” Neighbor Sue Medeiros-Sherman noted that Wagner’s
property had once been in her family since 1903, with her father,
grandfather, uncles and others toiling on that property as “keepers of the
land.” She questioned if the new barn on site that
Wagner built corresponds with the spirit of farming and the APR. Other neighbors said the road draws high-speed
traffic and Wagner’s potential expansion could worsen that situation. Some
questioned if public drunkenness could stem from the property. Selectman Craig Dutra said he
supported Westport Rivers and Buzzards Bay Brewery, when they came before
selectmen for an entertainment license. “Weatherlow
is before the ZBA and I will wait until the process
is completed before I weigh in on this situation,” Dutra said DeLuna conceded that – if approved – Wagner would have to
apply for a liquor license.
Responding to an email, three selectmen weighed in
on Wagner’s proposal, which could be the next chapter of agri-entertainment
in town. “I support our local farmers in their efforts to
increase demand for their products. If they can showcase their products
without causing an unnecessary burden on their neighbors then I support
them,” Selectmen Vice Chairwoman Shana Shufelt
said. “While I selfishly want to keep Westport to ourselves, people coming to
visit and buying while they're here is a good thing for our community.” Selectman Craig Dutra said he supported Westport Rivers and Buzzards
Bay Brewery, when they came before selectmen for an entertainment license. “Weatherlow is before the ZBA and I will wait until the process is completed before
I weigh in on this situation,” Dutra said. "Putting something
like that so close to residences is troubling -- that is not agri-tourism -- that is putting a wedding function venue,
a commercial venture that should be restricted to commercial districts, in
the middle of a residential/farming neighborhood," Valcourt said.
"There is no hardship there; he is trying to usurp the zoning
bylaws to shove this down the neighbors' throats.” Selectmen Chairman Steven Ouellette noted that when an
entertainment-based activity is not on a main thoroughfare, it has an impact.
“Far too many projects are being presented as a lesser use
(residential/farming) instead of the owner’s intended purpose,” Ouellette
added. The ZBA asked many questions at its Sept 6
hearing but did not pass much judgment either way. New member Constance Gee noted that the case, as well as the agritourism argument, represents a tough call for the ZBA. “It is a fuzzy issue but an important issue for our town and the state
statute leaves it wide open,” Gee said. Selectman Brian Valcourt had some strong
words. "Putting something like that so close to residences is
troubling -- that is not agri-tourism -- that is
putting a wedding function venue, a commercial venture that should be
restricted to commercial districts, in the middle of a residential/farming
neighborhood," Valcourt said. "There is no hardship there; he
is trying to usurp the zoning bylaws to shove this down the neighbors'
throats.”
Above: ZBA members and
Building Commissioner Ralph Souza tour the Weatherlow
Farms new barn.
Tuesday, October 3rd, 11:00 a.m. Fall River District Courthouse, 186
South Main Street, Fall River. EverythingWestport.com Friday, September 29, 2017 Animal rights activists will rally on
Tuesday, October 3rd at 11:00 a.m. in front of the Fall River District
Courthouse in Fall River, MA to protest the Court’s repeated leniency in sentencing
convicted animal abusers. “Animal abuse is a legislated felony in
Massachusetts, but the Fall River Criminal Court treats it as a petty
infraction. Again and again people guilty of the most heinous crimes against
animals are allowed to walk free, with no jail time or fines,” said animal advocates
in a press release. According to the activists, Judge Gilbert
Nadeau of Fall River’s 2nd District Court recently handed down the most
lenient of sentences: probation for two individuals accused with animal
cruelty by Westport police. “Join us at The Justice for Animals Rally! We demand maximum sentencing for
animal abusers. We demand the institution of a state and federal Animal Abuse
Registry. We demand that all MA criminal courts hire advocates for animals,”
the group said. “We demand that animal abusers are prosecuted and sentenced
as felons!” For additional information, please
contact: Odie’s Place Animal Rescue: odiesplace508@gmail.com Stop The Insanity Westport: insanitywestport@gmail.com Join the Conversation Westport: chris@chrismark.us Protest the Westport Tenant Farm: greenleafj@kingphilip.org Westport school project’s last
pieces are slowly falling into place. EverythingWestport.com Saturday, September 30, 2017
Special Correspondent to
EverythingWestport.com WESTPORT - One by one, the final pieces of a $90-million combined
middle school and high school building plan are coming together, just weeks
away from the Oct. 11 deadline for submitting a schematic design and project
budget to the Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA),
whose anticipated $39 million in reimbursements is critical to the project
moving forward. At their Sept. 27 meeting, the Westport School Building Committee made
some big decisions, the foremost being the choice of a more contemporary
façade for the new school, favoring brick, glass and metal, and curbside
appeal, rather than the traditional look of Westport architecture. The committee also approved some interior wall finishes, flooring, and
ceiling materials for the two-story, co-located new middle school and high
school on the Old County Road site where the closed Westport Middle School
now stands. The old school, contaminated by PCBs and abandoned several years
ago, would be demolished to make way for the new buildings.
Photo | EverythingWestport.com Some choices for windows, sun screens, roof lines, and other
architectural items were also resolved at the lengthy meeting at the current
Westport High School. For the most part, materials were chosen for their
durability and cost effectiveness, consulting architects said. The controversial decision of the best site for the relocated tennis
courts on the campus seems to also have been resolved, at least for now. Those critical materials decisions and site adjustments will now help
the project team firm up their preliminary estimates of about $77 million in
construction costs, with a total project cost of roughly $90 million. With
the potential MSBA reimbursements, that leaves
slightly more than $55 million to be financed by the town. Building Committee Co-Chair Dianne Baron said that the work of the
next few weeks should include a public forum that explains the need for new
education space, reviews the multi-year planning process for a new school,
and gets some critical feedback from residents before final votes are taken. “We’re obviously looking to do this before we finalize things, and
submit to the MSBA,” Baron noted. The committee has
been meeting informally with community groups to discuss the plans in recent
weeks, and the project timetable includes an Oct. 10 meeting with the Finance
Committee and Capital Improvements Committee. The school building committee is scheduled to review all the draft
estimates and come up with a total project budget by Oct. 26; a joint meeting
with selectmen and the Westport School Committee to approve the final plans
and budget going to the MSBA is set for Nov. 1. If the state authority approves Westport’s plans at their mid-December
meeting, town officials are tentatively looking at a special town meeting
vote in January to endorse the plans and accept the MSBA
aid offer, and a special election referendum question on the financing some
time in February. There was lengthy debate at the Sept. 27 meeting over the three
options for front entrances and façade materials offered up by principal
architect Jonathan Levi. A canopy over the main entryway, fake peaked roofs,
and a possible administrative suite with floor-to-ceiling windows were among
the options to be considered.
Inset:
Architect Jonathon Levi holds a sample of the exterior material he recommends
for Westport’s new school building. Photo | EverythingWestport.com The chosen design calls for a brick front on both stories of the
building, set on a contrasting color stone or concrete base. Peaked metal
roofs over some parts of the building recall the more traditional
schoolhouses in town. It was the most contemporary-looking colored rendering offered up by
Levi that night; his preference, he said, but he promised to honor the
committee’s wishes when the final plans are drawn. Baron said she was looking for a front façade that would “send a
message to the town that we’re moving forward, into the future with our
education system.” Co-Chair Tracy Priestner thought
“a more traditional look” was more likely to earn community support for the
project than a more modern design. In the end, after an 8-5 straw poll of committee members endorsed the
most contemporary look, a formal vote approved the design, known as A-1, of
the front, with a long covered entryway over the pavers leading to the main
entrance. Inside, linoleum was chosen over vinyl tile because it is less
expensive to maintain, and would help keep operating costs down in the long
term. Ceiling tiles will be sound-absorbing, and walls protected by bumper
rails. Another half-hour of debate was spent on the potential relocation of
the four tennis courts and a memorial garden sitting behind the current
middle school. The hillside site originally proposed a little behind the new
school and the nearby public library would have added almost $1 million to
the project plans, and the building committee ordered that less expensive
alternate locations would be explored. Two options considered were flat sites beside and behind Westport
Elementary School, on the north end of the Old County Road campus. The third,
a little closer to the school and the library, was voted the best choice to
finalize the site plans. The decision was influenced by Superintendent Ann Marie Dargon noting that the public tennis courts were also
used for middle school physical education classes, so the site closest to the
school might be the most advantageous location for the new courts. The Westport Free Public Library preferred the courts be relocated
further away from the existing library building for visual and noise
considerations. The committee continues to have dialogue with the community tennis
association that supports the courts and maintains the adjacent memorial
garden. Upcoming committee meetings include a Monday, Oct. 2 meeting to review
the revised cost estimates; an Wednesday, Oct. 18
session to start finalizing the total project budget, to be completed by
Thursday, Oct. 26. Photos | EverythingWestport.com
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