Kudos to Marcus Baptiste for speaking out!

Someone always has to be the first to speak up!

The Middleboro Town Planner and Planning Board have long been Equal Opportunity Harassers, preventing construction, discouraging new businesses, creating irrational costs and obstructed sensible planning considerations.






Middleboro selectmen criticize Town Planner, Planning Board

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By Alice C. Elwell
Enterprise correspondent 
Posted Jan. 18, 2015 at 11:20 PM
Updated Jan 18, 2015 at 11:23 PM 

MIDDLEBORO – The Planning Board and Town Planner are under heavy fire by at least two selectmen and a developer.

Town Manager Robert G. Nunes is meeting this week with local builder Marcus Baptiste to address a nine-page letter of complaint that he calls “disturbing.”

Last week, Selectman Stephen J. McKinnon fired off a volley of grievances against the Planning Department that included, “I think it obvious that this department is one of the greatest encumbrances to the growth of our town. In fact, this department is, in my opinion, a great embarrassment to the Town of Middleboro.”

Leilani Dalpe, vice chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen said she’s also handed the town manager a laundry list of planning problems with past and ongoing projects in town.

“I spoke to Bob Nunes with a handwritten list mentioning Edgeway, Fernway, Ja Mar, Christmas Tree Shops and Oak Point as issues I thought there should be intervention with the Planning Board,” she said

This week Baptiste threatened to walk away from Eastwood Estates, a 28-lot affordable housing project permitted by the Zoning Board of Appeals in 2006 and built off Purchase Street.

Although the project was permitted by the appeals board, the Planning Board weighed in on the road layout and Baptiste contends the subdivision remains unfinished because the Planning Board is holding up roadwork.

In the letter Baptiste said, ” I will not do any work if there is any involvement at all from the Planning Department or the Planning Board.”

Baptiste said over the last 15 years, he’s built more than 100 homes in town and it has been an “unpleasant experience” working with the Planning Department.

“All I want to do is finish the road and move on,” Baptiste said when the Enterprise contacted him.

Planning Director Ruth E. Geoffroy declined to comment on the letter from Baptiste and said the Planning Board referred it to Town Counsel Daniel F. Murray, who also declined to comment on the matter.

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