A photo posted on Facebook has Wareham residents wondering just how prevalent river otters are in town, as more and more wildlife seems to be making a comeback.
On Monday, January 5, a photo of a deceased river otter was posted in a Wareham Facebook group along with the caption “Saw this guy in the middle of the road on Tihonet Rd. Had to move this beautiful animal to the side. Wareham has river otters.”
In the comments under the post, many town residents were talking about the amount of river otters in Wareham waters.
“Lots, especially up Glen Charlie Road,” wrote Sean Lawrence.
Controversial Hospitality District defeated at town meeting theweektoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theweektoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A map of the proposed district.
At their regular meeting on Monday night, the board decided to wait to decide about the necessary votes to pass the measure until Thursday in hopes the board’s query to the state would be answered.
The 756-acre Hospitality, Recreation and Entertainment district was created by the Notos Group, a Quincy-based developer, along with town officials. The district requires projects on at least 100-acre parcels and would require all proposals to go through a special permit process with the Planning Board, which gives the town a fair amount of say about what is built.
An economist hired by Trout Unlimited, a conservation group, says that the economic arguments being presented by the Notos Group to support their proposed “Hospitality, Entertainment, and Recreation District” are flawed.
The Notos Group hired the Mattapoisett-based FXM Associates to create economic reports about the impact that developing the land as it is currently zoned (if the rezoning were not to pass) would have on the town’s finances.
Currently, the only development allowed in the district is of single family homes on three acre lots.
The FXM report says that 90 homes could be built on the 275 acre parcel of land that Notos has under contract. If those homes were built, FXM argues, the town would lose $800,000 each year in revenue, as town services to the residents of those homes would cost more than the homes would bring in in tax revenue.
Apr 4, 2021
To the Editor:
I am a registered voter in the Town of Wareham opposed to the rezoning Article 1.
I do not believe that any of the criteria under the Governor’s order, nor the guidance issued in February 2021 are met for other than a two-thirds quantum of vote. The section of the new law that focuses on zoning reform appears to be geared toward new housing (not commercial) development. The law focuses on “smart growth” i.e., making sure housing is close to existing transit, while promoting mixed use so that people can walk to a train or the grocery store. That is not the case on Glen Charlie Road. Wareham has effectively no reliable and consistent public transit.