Neighbors Oppose Hiller/Timothy Project, Appeal Building Permits
Congratulations Robbie Roderiques
After years of trying to get your 16 home subdivision through the Planning Board, being denied every time on the basis it was not a good fit at that scale for the location, you chose to sue the Town.
When that failed (at every level of the court system) you created a new LLC and submitted the same 16 home subdivision plans then sat quietly, waiting for the Town to slip up and not act on them, knowing full well that if no action was taken you could bypass due process and get your way. You intentionally deceived the Town Government and an entire neighborhood in the Town in which you live.
Congratulations on your continued stiff-arming of Town Government as you build new homes on lots that do not match those designated on the Building Permits, all while holding the Town at bay with regard to the surety bond the Town Bylaws require. This places the Town at financial risk. On October 15th, the day after the Planning Board meeting, you received a request for a site visit by the Planning Board. One month later, you have yet to allow that to happen. How’s that for cooperation from a Town based business?
Congratulations Pat Carr
For a period of at least 6 months, while holding the positions of Chair, Vice Chair, and member of the Planning Board, you knew about the plans submitted by Windmill Acres, LLC and you were fully aware that if the Town did not take action for 155 days, “Constructive Approval” would be granted to the applicant, bypassing the entire Planning Process. Every single one of those 155 days was a new opportunity for you to do the right thing, and make it known to your fellow Board members that those plans had been submitted — yet you kept silent. We have learned that you, Ms. Tomasetti and Select Board member, Keith Silvia, called for a meeting with the Town Administrator trying to extract a pound of flesh from the now resigned Planning Director, but let’s be real… in your role, YOU had the responsibility to act and failed to do so.
The Mission Statement of the Planning Board calls for the Board to pay particular attention to “conditions affecting public welfare and safety related to land use and development… with special attention to the proper housing of Town residents”. Are you proud of the way you served your community on this one, leaving the Town with no say on a project that has left abutters with flooded yards, no tree buffer between them and the wastewater treatment plant and wind turbines, etc.?
A group of abutters has filed an Administrative Appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)* claiming that the Building Permits for five homes should never have been issued for a host of reasons. That meeting will take place on December 4th. Given your history with this subdivision project, will you do the right thing and recuse yourself from deliberations on that agenda item?
Congratulations Cathy Melanson
In your role as Chair of the Planning Board before the last election you could and should have made this all known to the Planning Board. Even after the election, as an ordinary citizen, if you had any regard for your community, your Town Government, and due process, you could have acted. You had the same 155 days that Mr. Carr did to notify Planning Board members about this proposed subdivision that you too knew would go to “constructive approval” if not acted on. Like Mr. Carr, your lips were sealed. Furthermore, you are the only one of 18 people who has not complied with a records request made on September 24th.
Unfortunately, the inaction of just a few people on a housing development worth on the order of $8-12M will permanently alter a neighborhood to an extent that was not necessary (or desired by the Planning Board). We deserve answers, transparency, accountability, and assurances this will not happen again. On October 23rd, we called for the Select Board to place an item on their next meeting agenda (October 28th) to consider calling for an investigation. Two Select Board meetings have passed without that agenda item. We will not stop asking. We hope others in the community will support us by advocating for openness, transparency and accountability from our Elected Officials and Town Government with an eye toward ensuring something like this will never happen again.
The following 28 signees all live in the immediate vicinity of the project: Ann Espindola, Bob Espindola, Tara Dwelly, Ben Dwelly Eric Harne, Kim Harne, Pauline Mello, Joan Gallagher, Mike Starr, Kathy Starr, Sue Powers, Jaqueline Rosparka, Jeanne Green, Jennifer Carter, Victoria Carter, Louis Braga, Janet Braga, Donna McKenna, Wayne Gifford, Rachel Thomas, Mike Thomas, Gail Branco, David Branco, Kraig Perry, Donna Perry, Kellie McCarthy, MikeMcCarthy**
*Mr. Carr is a member of both the Planning Board, an elected position, and the ZBA, an appointed position. He is the chairperson ZB.
**One person asked to be removed from the list.
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