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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.

The developers of the project did not respond to requests for comment.

You don't necessarily have to go to the Buttonwood Park Zoo to get up close and personal with a bobcat. A Mattapoisett family got the suprise of a lifetime when they saw a young bobcast lingering in their yard for a remarkable 15 minutes, and the encounter was all caught on video. While the family has mixed emotions about having a bobcat living so close to their home, it is an absolutely beautiful animal by all accounts.

Devin Sprague told Fun 107 the sighting happened Sunday evening around 7:45 p.m., near the end of Mattapoisett Neck Road. Sprague said he first spotted the bobcat out of the corner of his eye while covering the grill, and rather than scaring it off, he quietly went inside to grab his wife and kids so they could all watch from the window.

The bobcat spent its time chasing rabbits around the yard, seemingly unbothered by the family watching from inside. "He didn't look too concerned, which is almost disturbing a little bit, because you want him to be afraid of humans a bit," Sprague said. He added that the bobcat looked toward the windows a few times and could clearly hear them, but it did not seem frightened, eventually moving on out of the yard on its own. The video was recorded by Sprague's wife, Tabi.

Sprague said his first instinct was to research whether the sighting should be a concern, especially with a young daughter at home. "Everything I read, they should be scared of people, even kids," Sprague said. Still, he added that he and his wife plan to make sure they keep an eye on their daughter and do not let her go outside by herself.

Watch Full Bobcat Videos https://tinyurl.com/5b6mxb8s

This is not the only bobcat sighting in the Mattapoisett neighborhood. A neighbor told Sprague he saw the same bobcat with a rabbit in its mouth a few weeks earlier. "Where there's one, there's more," Sprague said. He noted that bobcats tend to establish a territory and often patrol during dusk and early morning hours while hunting for food.

MATTAPOISETT — Superintendent Michael S. Nelson is pleased to announce that Amanda Chamberlin has been appointed as the next Principal of Old Hammondtown School.

Chamberlin will begin her role on July 8, succeeding Stephanie Wells, who has served as principal since 2024.

“We are thrilled to welcome Amanda into the Old Hammondtown family,” said Superintendent Nelson. “Her extensive experience in early childhood education, skills in social-emotional learning and advocacy for staff and faculty will bring strength and support to the school. Amanda’s community-centered approach to education will be invaluable to both our students and staff.”

Chamberlin joins the school system from Seekonk Public Schools, where she has served as Assistant Principal of George R. Martin Elementary School since 2022.

She previously served as assistant principal of Fall River Public Schools’ William S. Greene Elementary School from 2020 to 2022.

Prior to becoming an assistant principal, Chamberlin held roles as a literacy academic coach, kindergarten inclusion teacher and second-grade teacher at Fall River Public Schools, Framingham Public Schools and Somerville Public Schools.

Chamberlin earned a Master of Education in Education Leadership from Bridgewater State University and bachelor’s degrees in Early Childhood Education and Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

She is a certified Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) School Leader and was a Selected Member of the District Collective Leadership Project in Bristol County, where she was chosen by her superintendent to participate in a five-month workshop centered around strategic planning, time management and fiscal budgets.

Chamberlin was also the head coach of Girls on the Run at George R. Martin Elementary School. For two academic years, she led a 10-week 5K training program and community service project for girls in grades 3 through 5.

“I am excited and honored to begin my role as Principal of Old Hammondtown School,” said Assistant Principal Chamberlin. “I believe that a community-centered approach to education fosters a supportive school environment for both students and staff, and I look forward to building meaningful connections with the Old Hammondtown community as we prepare to enter the next academic year.”