New housing proposal stirs controversy in Mattapoisett
A new building proposal looks to introduce seven new houses on Mahoney's Lane in Mattapoisett. Photos by Mari Huglin 
The current homes are located next to wetlands. Behind the bushes are the wetlands and Eel Pond leading to Mattapoisett Harbor. 
From Mahoney's Lane looking towards Main Street. 
Peter Martin points to the proposed building area behind his backyard and where the wetlands are. 
The current houses are smaller but will be doubled in size in the proposal. 
Mahoney's Lane is right off of Main Street near Mattapoisett Town Hall.
A new building proposal looks to introduce seven new houses on Mahoney's Lane in Mattapoisett. Photos by Mari Huglin
The current homes are located next to wetlands. Behind the bushes are the wetlands and Eel Pond leading to Mattapoisett Harbor.
From Mahoney's Lane looking towards Main Street.
Peter Martin points to the proposed building area behind his backyard and where the wetlands are.
The current houses are smaller but will be doubled in size in the proposal.
Mahoney's Lane is right off of Main Street near Mattapoisett Town Hall.
MATTAPOISETT — A new development proposal to build seven houses on Mahoney’s Lane has raised environmental concerns among some residents.
The developer, Dennis Mahoney & Sons, plans to present the project, replacing several rental houses with larger single-family structures, to the Conservation Commission. Because the property is surrounded by salt marsh wetlands and other protected waters, neighbors are opposed to the new build.
Because the new houses would sit in a flood zone, the buildings would stand on stilts, with decks facing the water.
Salt marsh wetlands sit to the south and west of the property, with Eel Pond and the Mattapoisett Harbor close by.
Resident Peter Martin and his wife received notice of these plans last week through a certified letter placed in their mailbox.
Martin said he is concerned with how close the larger proposed houses will be to the wetlands, which are already delicate environments.
“This project is maximizing the use of every inch of land right up to the border line of banks and wetlands,” Martin said.
He said the current buildings are 30 by 25 feet, but the proposed buildings will be 60 by 40 feet with a raised deck.
Resident Todd Partridge’s home abuts the proposed building area. He said he is mainly worried about possible flooding and disruption construction could cause.
“I think what's being proposed puts my property at risk,” Partridge said.
Resident Wendy Copps lives in the neighborhood and is an environmental engineer.
She said she is concerned with flooding and how the building project will affect the marshland. Copps worries the project could harm vegetation, harden the embankments and shrink the current habitat.
“I think it's going to have a detrimental effect on the marsh,” Copps said.
Copps said she is also worried about the aesthetics of the project, since the houses will be raised with high decks.
“It's going to be really out of style with the rest of the village and it's going to be really disappointing,” Copps said.
The next Conservation Commission meeting will be on Monday, July 27.
