Posted by Caroline on January 23, 2007, 2:08 pm http://www.lowellsun.com/front/ci_5067928 The board voted 4-1 against the 61-unit project, known as Village Crossing, with member Justin McCarthy the sole proponent. Member Steven Tremblay abstained, having just recently become a member, and member Joseph Curran was absent. If the project had passed, there would have been three active developments on the table for the Treble Cove Road/Bridge Street/Bridle Road corridor. The Zoning Board of Appeals has already reviewed a proposal for 350 townhouses on the Holland's Junkyard site, while the Planning Board last night discussed a 19,000-square-foot office complex at 17 Bridge St. Member Edward McLaughlin, the most vocal opponent of the over-55 development, told the board it came down to traffic and location in his decision to vote against the project. "It's not the right spot for an over-55," he said. "I respectfully disagree with our engineer that there will be a minimal (traffic) impact to Treble Cove Road." McLaughlin even acknowledged earlier statements he had made saying Village Crossing would have been "the lesser of two evils" if another proposal came before the board in the future to industrialize the site. McCarthy, however, said the two-story townhouse design would easily conform to the town's suburban character. "I'm looking at it, and I see a lot of favorable things," he said. Village Crossing first came before the board in June, but the applicants later dismissed the project without prejudice to conduct further studies and await a Town Meeting vote on whether the property would be rezoned for elderly housing. Town Meeting in the fall supported the zoning change. Before the vote, Town Planner Peter Kennedy warned the board that denying the project could generate a costly lawsuit. Kennedy said a judge might side with testimony provided by Ron Desrosiers, a principal at MDM Transportation Consultants, who argued for the applicant that senior housing typically produces low-volume traffic and that the effect on nearby intersections would be minimal. New Foster Avenue resident Edward Camplese last night produced a five-page letter to the board vehemently opposing the project. The letter called the project a "Trojan horse" that will bring no value to the community. "To approve these conditions and allow this questionable project to move forward would result in this project being out of the concerned community eye," he said. "I am not an expert on Planning Board procedure, but if this is common practice when much community concern is involved, then the elected members of the board should consider putting an immediate end to this practice." Camplese also questioned the traffic study, calling it "flawed." Treble Cove Road resident William Faria agreed. "The cost to the town is going to be more than the expected revenues," he said. The developer can appeal the ruling.
128.222.37.21
Last night's meeting made today's Lowell Sun, along with the 7 page packlet handed out.
Over-55 housing denied in Billerica
By KIRK BOUTSELIS, Sun Correspondent
Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated:01/23/2007 11:55:00 AM EST
BILLERICA -- An over-55 townhouse apartment complex proposed for Bridge Street was denied last night by the Planning Board following a barrage of testimony from residents who argued that the site would negatively impact already crowded secondary roads.
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