For a long while, it looked as though plans to renovate the former Salvation Army building atop Coles Hill didn’t stand a prayer. Talk of a makeover began soon after the church decamped for Long Pond Road almost a decade ago. A local couple, Edward and Ayli Gates, bought the distinctive – but neglected – […]
Author Archives: Mark Pothier - Independent Staff
Posted inReal Estate Sales
Are buyers finally gaining an advantage in Plymouth’s housing market?
As the season changes, so too may the real estate market’s balance. For the first time in years, leverage is shifting slightly in favor of buyers, even in housing-starved Massachusetts. There are several factors in play, but the big one is the cost of borrowing. A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage now averages 7.4%. At the same […]
Posted inGovernment
Long neglected, Training Green getting a makeover
The chain-link fencing that recently went up around the town Training Green might make it look like an EPA hazardous waste site to passersby. But while they and neighborhood dogs deprived of a favorite walk route may disagree, the barrier signaled the start of something good – an overdue makeover. The 1.4-acre public park dates […]
Posted inGovernment
Select Board backs proposed 392-unit West Plymouth apartment complex
How can the town stop the proliferation of affordable housing complexes that have strained services and roiled neighborhoods over the last decade? By building more affordable housing. That was the pitch developer Rick Vayo made to the Select Board during a presentation last week detailing plans for Darby Farms, a 392-unit apartment complex he’s proposing […]
Posted inReal Estate Sales
Nineteen homes sold for more than $1 million last month
This might not make for a gripping opening to a story, but the latest snapshot of the local real estate market is a mixed picture. August data show 123 homes sold in Plymouth, the same number as in July, according to Boston real estate tracking firm the Warren Group. The median price was $678,000, a […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
A rare storm is bearing down on Plymouth. Here’s what you need to know.
This time, there was no calm before the storm. Thursday afternoon, more than a day out from a rare September nor’easter expected to pummel the Massachusetts coast, Plymouth Harbor already was speckled with whitecaps. Boats bobbed at their moorings, while others were plucked from the sea for safekeeping on land. “We stopped operation of our […]
Posted inBusiness
With The Drew, downtown finally gets the hotel it needed
Why didn’t somebody do this sooner? That was my reaction last year when I heard about a boutique hotel planned for the heart of downtown. It’s no surprise the man behind it is Rick Vayo, a developer who has set about to reimagine Plymouth’s once drab business district. The town has two mid-range full-service hotels […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
State denies Holtec’s appeal of ban on wastewater discharge at Pilgrim plant
In a widely expected ruling, the state on Tuesday rejected Holtec International’s appeal of an order preventing it from discharging treated radioactive wastewater into Cape Cod Bay as the company decommissions the Pilgrim nuclear power plant. The decision by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection upholds a 2024 denial of Holtec’s request to release up […]
Posted inGovernment
Charter commission candidate’s ‘fun’ photo doesn’t mean he’s not serious
Wrestling Brewster is all about revamping Plymouth’s form of government to better suit the town’s present and future. That’s why he’s running for a seat on a nine-member charter commission likely to be on the ballot next May – a crucial step toward putting proposed changes before voters, who would get the final say. So […]
Posted inBusiness
Controversial Flock cameras not used in town’s public spaces
In case you haven’t been paying attention, take notice: You’re being watched. Privacy is at a premium in Plymouth and most of the world. Cameras are everywhere, from the front doors of homes to stores to streets to parking lots and more. They’re mounted on posts, peering down from the sky, and in the hands […]