Choose Granite Countertops Near Me Carver, MA for Elegance and Durability

Carver voters overwhelmingly rejected its proposed zoning rules to comply with the MBTA Communities Act by a vote of 394 to 26.

It was the first time the town was voting on the issue, as it had until the end of this year to pass rules.

The MBTA Communities Act is a 2021 state law that requires 177 towns and cities to create at least one zoning district near public transportation that allows multifamily housing by right. The law was created as an effort to increase housing units and address affordability units, but it does not require that the units are constructed.

Each community is given a certain percentage of its 2020 housing stock that translates to the number of units that the zoning district must be able to accommodate.

Carver was required to zone for 235 units, which makes up 5% of its total housing stock. The proposed MBTA district printed in the town meeting warrant covers Ferreira’s Used Cars & Parts just south of West Street.

By the time the special town meeting was held on Tuesday, Oct. 7, the planning board was continuing to work with an outside consultant to create the town’s proposed MBTA district. In previous meetings, the board had expressed dissatisfaction with the options presented to them, as they sought a district with open space and the fewest number of units required. The board was also considering different locations for the district. But overall, as expressed by the board chair, they wished to not have to create the zoning district in the first place.

At the town meeting, the planning board wanted residents to indefinitely postpone the MBTA zoning warrant article. While the town meeting warrant included a map of the proposed West Street district, it did not include a bylaw, or the explicit language outlining what can and cannot be built. Town meeting voters rejected this request to postpone.

Residents at the heated meeting spoke out against the law, concerned about how more than 200 new apartment units could impact the town. Discussion lasted for just under an hour.

“We need to fight,” said resident Helen Marrone. “I think we need to say ‘no’ to support all those other towns that have taken the courage to say ‘no.’”

Town Counsel Gregg Corbo warned residents that not complying with the law meant the town risked losing state grants and the possibility of losing control over what Carver's MBTA zoning district would look like and where it would go.

Carver joins Marshfield, Hanover and Halifax in rejecting the law. Hanson, which initially voted against its proposed MBTA zoning rules, has approved rules in a Monday, Oct. 6, special town meeting.

The MBTA Communities Act has already been confirmed as constitutional by the state Supreme Judicial Court, which also confirmed the state attorney general’s authority to enforce the law. This challenge had been brought by the town of Milton, which approved then rejected its proposed MBTA rules in February 2024. The reversal meant state grants were withheld from Milton and legal action was made against the town by Attorney General Andrea Campbell.

Carver does not have any MBTA bus stops, T stations or commuter rail lines. The closest commuter rail stations are in Halifax, Middleboro and Plymouth. Carver is considered an "adjacent small town" through the MBTA Communities Act, meaning it has within its boundaries less than 100 acres of developable land that is within a half mile of a transit station.

Efforts are underway to put a measure on the 2026 ballot that would repeal the MBTA Communities Act. The first round of 74,574 signatures are due to the state by Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Hannah Morse covers growth and development for The Patriot Ledger. Contact her at hmorse@patriotledger.com.

As the days get shorter and the nights grow colder, there's a certain kind of story that feels just right. Americana Theatre Company (ATC) is bringing one of the spookiest classics to life with its one-man show, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," running from October 29 through November 2 at the historic Union Church in Carver.

This is no ordinary retelling. This is a bold, imaginative, one-actor adaptation of Washington Irving's classic tale, created by ATC's Artistic Directors Derek Martin and Jesse Sullivan. It tells the story of the lanky schoolmaster Ichabod Crane and his terrifying encounter with the infamous Headless Horseman. The show has been performed nationally, but what makes this run extra special is the location. The historic Union Church, surrounded by an old burial ground, is the perfect, and perhaps most spine-chilling, backdrop for a ghostly visit. You might even feel like the Headless Horseman is right outside the window!

The show features Nick Hancock, a fan favorite who audiences will remember as Smee from ATC’s summer production of "Peter and the Starcatcher." Hancock is a versatile performer, choreographer, and teaching artist with a wide range of credits that prove he's got the chops to bring a whole cast of characters to life all on his own.

Whether you're a fan of spooky stories, classic literature, or incredible live theater, this is the perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit. ATC is known for its commitment to telling great stories, and this production promises to be a masterclass in solo performance.So, are you brave enough to take a trip to Carver and see if Ichabod Crane makes it home?

Ready to get spooked? You won't want to miss this unique theatrical experience.

Free parking is available streetside. For more information about Americana Theatre Company, visit their website at americanatheatre.org and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Story Written By: Mark Allen WoodWood Media Staff Writer

Carver, Massachusetts — For Jarrod Rhodes, a fourth-generation cranberry farmer in Carver, Massachusetts, a 30-acre state project is taking a portion of his family's land back in time.

"In 10 years, I hope it looks like a natural swamp," Rhodes told CBS News of the project's outcome. "And just, kind of, everything that it may have looked like, you know, before we were here."

As cranberry prices fall due to global competition and costs increase due to labor issues, higher utility costs and extreme weather, cranberry farmers like Rhodes are part of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration's Cranberry Bog Program that pays farmers to turn unproductive bogs back into wetlands.

The restoration project for the bogs owned by the Rhodes family is about 95% complete. It will be only a matter of time before native plants begin to return.

Massachusetts has restored over 500 acres of wetlands over the past 15 years through the program, with another 500 acres planned.

According to the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, the state has about 13,250 acres of cranberry farms. Massachusetts is the second-largest grower of cranberries in the U.S. behind Wisconsin, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The state allocates around $1 million a year to the restoration program, while leveraging other local and federal grants to do these restorations.

For Massachusetts cranberry farmers, the program is one way to preserve their land as a generation of farmers nears retirement.

"They want to make sure that the land that they've tended to for so long is like, in good hands, whether that be a restoration program, or passing it on to the next generation," said Karen Cahill, deputy executive director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, a trade group which represents cranberry farmers in the state.

Under the program, the farmers keep the land, but the public can enjoy it too. An example of a restoration process that worked was the Eel River headwaters in Plymouth in 2010, where 60 acres of former bogs are now beautiful wetlands, filtering water, storing carbon and providing storm resilience. They are also open for hiking and wildlife.

Beth Lambert helps oversee the state's restoration program, including the projects at Eel River and Carver.

"Many of the cranberry farms in Massachusetts were constructed on wetlands," Lambert said. "And what we're doing is, we're restoring those underlying drivers of water, the soil, and then we let Mother Nature take it from there."

Back on Rhodes' farm, streams now wind through areas where cranberry vines once grew.

"It's cool to see it kind of all bare," Rhodes said. "Just kind of waiting for it to grow back and see if it actually works the way that it was supposed to."

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