Mattapoisett Conservation Commission — October 28, 2026

The Mattapoisett Conservation Commission opened a public hearing on October 28, 2026, regarding a Notice of Intent submitted by Dennis Mahoney and Sons Incorporated for the proposed redevelopment of a 4.35-acre property at Mahoney's Lane. The applicant's engineer, David DeVignan of Schneider DeVignan and Leone, presented the proposal to demolish seven existing cottages dating from 1850 to 1954 and construct seven new single-family homes elevated on open concrete column foundations within a FEMA velocity flood zone (VE-17 and VE-18). The proposal includes paving a 20-foot wide access road, installing stormwater bioretention basins, and performing fill and grading under two feet. DeVignan noted that the application was prompted by anticipated MassDEP wetland regulation changes restricting construction within velocity zones, and the applicant agreed to provide Chapter 44, Section 53G funds for an independent stormwater peer review.

Samantha Carew and Brandon Faneuf of Ecosystem Solutions, the town's independent peer review consultants, presented their preliminary findings. Carew reviewed impacts to coastal resource areas, noting 102,640 square feet of disturbance in land subject to coastal storm flowage, proximity of work and grading to the coastal bank and salt marsh, nearby mapped shellfish habitat, and substantial tree clearing proposed within the 100-foot buffer zone. Commission members and peer reviewers emphasized the protective role existing trees play in wave dissipation, flood control, and soil stabilization in velocity zones.

Numerous residents and abutters offered public comment. Attorney Peter Viteri, representing three abutters on Main Street, requested independent reviews of coastal bank delineations and performance standards. Abutter Todd Partridge questioned the Chair regarding a conflict of interest, to which the Chair stated he filed an appearance of conflict (Section 23) disclosure with the State Ethics Commission and town officials, allowing him to preside. Other residents voiced concerns about historic filling on the site dating back to the 1920s, tree clearing, coastal erosion, and out-of-scale development. The Commission established a formal written comment deadline of November 12, 2026, at 4:00 PM, and continued the hearing to December 2, 2026.

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