Several articles up for a vote at the upcoming Special Town Meeting on April 25 were presented to the Select Board during its Tuesday night meeting.

Many of the other articles that were to be presented, per the agenda, were postponed until the Select Board’s meeting next week on April 12.

In Tuesday’s meeting, the board heard from representatives on the Historic District Commission’s quorum modifications, beach mobility mats, lease lengths for the Tremont Nail Factory and an updated bylaw for solar projects in town.

Historic District Commission

Chair Judith Whiteside presented on behalf of the Historic District Commission in a short explanation of the commission’s article.

Over time, the commission has lost members, Whiteside said, and the commission has been unable to conduct meetings due to not meeting quorum. The commission has therefore created two articles for the Special Town Meeting: one to reduce the commission’s quorum, and one to change a bylaw that had set up the quorum. 

Beach mobility access pads

Department of Natural Resources Director Garry Buckminster presented an article for the purchase of beach mobility maps for use on beaches around Wareham.

The mats, which Buckminster said measure about six feet wide, provide a surface for people to traverse on foot, in a wheelchair, with crutches or on wheels if needed. The mobility mats would help make the town’s beaches more accessible and user-friendly for residents with mobility needs.

Buckminster said that the mats have a 10-year lifespan, and the funds he’s asking for would help purchase about 750 feet of the mats and equipment to roll them up.

The director has previously presented the mats to the Community Preservation Committee in January, and in Tuesday’s meeting he confirmed that his request for $60,000 would come from Community Preservation funding.

“I think that this is an excellent idea, and I’m very pleased that Community Preservation was able to provide the funding for it,” Whiteside said.

Tremont Nail Factory

Director of Planning Ken Buckland explained an article meant to extend the lease length for the Tremont Nail Factory developer, after an initial RFP was issued in 2020.

The town first selected Bentley Companies as master developer for the property in spring 2021. In February of this year though, the Select Board issued a second RFP for the same property to change the length of the proposed lease to ensure the chosen developer could make a return on investment, Buckland said Tuesday night. Reasons for the change included rising construction costs, more permitting and changing markets that increased the financial risk for the developer, Buckland said.

The article asks for the lease length to change from the currently allowed five-year lease to one 30-year term, with two possible 30-year extensions for up to 90 years in total.

Whiteside noted that the Wareham Redevelopment Authority had recommended the article.

The only company to respond to the updated RFP was Bentley Companies, the same developer that responded to the initial request.

Solar Bylaw Study Committee

The Solar Bylaw Study Committee presented a few changes to the town’s solar bylaw as they explained article amendments to the board.

Changes include making the Planning Board the sole permit granting authority and limiting solar project size.

Members of the committee emphasized their focus on citations of existing law within the proposed changes, as they balanced the town’s wants for solar in Wareham with the state’s strong investment in moving forward on alternative energy.

Board members commended the committee for its work over the past months in sculpting the articles to work for the town while hopefully not triggering a disapproval from the Attorney General, who recently struck down a bylaw passed at Town Meeting last year.