Posted by Ed on January 25, 2007, 6:01 pm 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. Ed
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Hey Group,
As I read two different newspaper articles on the Village Crossing Proposal I felt the need to compare them and pass on what I discovered to all concerned taxpaying citizens. The first appeared in The Billerica Minuteman and the second appeared in The Lowell Sun. Please post comments on which article sheds a truthful interpretation of the issue and which only provides convenient information and might have a hidden agenda.
Billerica Minuteman
Board rejects 55-plus housing proposal
Thursday, January 25, 2007 - Updated: 12:38 PM EST Proponents of a 55-plus housing complex proposal rejected by the Planning Board Monday will appeal the board’s decision, after the board voted it down citing traffic safety and other concerns.
The board voted 4-1 against a permit for Village Crossing, a proposed 55-plus, 61-unit townhouse development proposed for a 37-acre plot of land between Treble Cove Road and Bridge Street, with concerned residents citing issues such as traffic safety.
Board member Justin McCarthy cast the lone vote in favor of the plan. Member Steve Tremblay abstained. Board member Joseph Curran was absent.
“We are definitely going to appeal it. It’s a great project,” said attorney Jim Dangora, who represents Wilmington-based Birchwood Development.
Once the decision is filed with the office of the town clerk, Birchwood Development has a 20-day appeal period.
The plans call for the construction of 61, two-bedroom townhouses, each about 1,500 square feet.
Over-55 housing denied in Billerica
By KIRK BOUTSELIS, Sun Correspondent
Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated:01/23/2007 11:55:00 AM EST
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."
Full text is contained on both Taxpayers Sites for viewing. The next time you are sitting in the gridlock of traffic in our once rural town, think about which press article clarifies the situation and how much more convenient information you are willing ignore being fed to you.
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