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Wareham wins $250,000 MassDOT grant; board approves permits, manager change and donations
Summary
Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said municipal maintenance won a $250,000 MassDOT award toward a new front‑end loader and updated the board on the Onset band shell; the board also approved event-hour and liquor-permit changes, a restaurant manager change, the state primary warrant, and several Council on Aging donations.
Town Administrator Derek Sullivan told the Wareham Select Board on July 21 that municipal maintenance was awarded $250,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation toward a new front‑end loader, an award Sullivan said is intended to help the town replace aging equipment. "Municipal maintenance was awarded from MassDOT $250,000 to go towards a new front end loader," Sullivan said; he added the equipment is approximately $300,000 and the town will explore ways to bridge an estimated $50,000 funding gap.
Sullivan also provided an update on the Onset band shell project, saying sod installation was nearly complete and railings were being fabricated. He emphasized the band shell was a town project and said the Onset Business Association (OBA) "had nothing to do with it," noting no OBA funds were used.
On routine business the board approved several items on the agenda by roll-call votes: a request from Lorna Bridal to change Harvest Fest hours and a one‑day wine‑and‑malt liquor permit for Oct. 3, 2026 (rain date Oct. 4) to shift the event earlier so vendors and guests could leave before dark; the change of manager for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers at 2421 Cranberry Highway, with Nicole Hartford confirming she became manager in April and saying she previously managed a retirement community in Hanover; placement of the Commonwealth warrant for the 2026 state primary on the record; and multiple donations to the Wareham Council on Aging (a $1,200 donation designated for copy paper, carnival costs and entertainment; $200 in Aldi gift cards for kitchen supplies; and a $20 donation from Kathy Cadman).
During public comment, resident Susan Noonan raised concerns about overgrown plantings at Bayview Park in Onset blocking the bluff walkway and views, and asked that the town trim the bluff area. Resident Caitlin Jordan described persistent potholes on Longneck Road, saying municipal maintenance "very rarely comes down here" and that conditions are dangerous for disabled residents who use wheelchairs; the chair provided an email for follow‑up.
What’s next: The town will pursue options to cover the remaining cost of the front‑end loader, and staff will follow up with residents who raised public‑works concerns.
