Marshfield Select Board Approves Lobster Fest
Annual event gets green light despite concerns; $261,000 donation accepted for dam removal project
MARSHFIELD, MA - August 5 - The Marshfield Select Board voted 2-1 Monday night to approve the 2024 Marshfield Lobster Fest, despite concerns from local lobstermen about the event's impact on their operations.
The annual event, scheduled for Sept. 14 with a rain date of Sept. 15, will be held at the town pier area on Joseph Driebeck Way. The board also approved a temporary liquor license for the festival.
Select Board member Eric Kelley voted against the approval, citing concerns from the Lobster Association about the event's impact on lobstermen's livelihoods.
"It was, to my understanding, without it being written in Tice's letter, but to what I was told, it was unanimous decision by the Lobster Association that they did not want Lobster Fest held down there anymore," Kelley said.
Board member Steve Darcy defended the event, saying, "It's one afternoon. People are making a mountain out of a molehill. It's a great, happy event. It's positive for our town."
In other business, the board unanimously accepted a $261,000 donation from the North and South Rivers Watershed Association towards the removal of the Veterans Memorial Park Dam. The donation is part of a larger $2 million river restoration project.
Town Administrator Michael Maresco explained the project's significance: "This will improve the flow of the river and make it easier for fish to move around and navigate."
The dam removal project has been in the works for five years, with the town previously securing a $1 million grant and matching it with $650,000 in town funds.
Concerns were raised about the potential impact on nearby wells and water tables. Town Counsel Robert Galvin addressed these concerns, stating, "There are some shallow wells by some private property owners along the Chandler's Mill Pond who may have to make some changes to their wells in order to get drinking water."
Galvin emphasized the importance of removing the dam, citing safety concerns: "That dam is very old. It's in poor condition. It needs to come down before it comes down as a result of a storm event. And if it comes down in a storm event because it's still there, the damage will be catastrophic below that dam."
The board also approved several other items, including temporary entertainment licenses for the Magical Moon Foundation and permission for Bridgewater State University students to collect shells at Brant Rock Beach for a marine mollusk course.