Venincasa completes most work at Orchard Hill
By Catie Foertsch Community Reporter

Westborough - The 30 residents of the Orchard Hill over-55 condo development who attended the Planning Board Oct. 2 meeting wanted the board to yank developer Steven Venincasa's performance bond, but the board declined, as Venincasa has finally completed just about all of the work the board has spent a year and a half trying to get him to do.

Residents still want Venincasa to build the long-promised community building, and board members said they would work to see that happen.

The work that needed to be done at Orchard Hill included repair of crumbling streets, paving, driveway repair and repair of sidewalks that have become undermined. Last year, after trying for months to get Venincasa to complete the work, the Planning Board rescinded lot releases in December 2006, which stopped Venincasa from starting new construction at Orchard Hill. When the work was still not done in early August, the Planning Board scheduled a public hearing to consider pulling Venincasa's construction bond.

At the Oct. 2 meeting, Venincasa's attorney, Alan Dodd, told the board that almost all of the work had been completed.

Town Engineer Carl Balduf told the Planning Board that the cause of the sidewalk issues is a problem with cracking and separating of the drainage pipes underneath the sidewalk. Town Planner James Robbins said the concern was not only the sidewalks, but also the integrity of Gilmore Farm Road. If the problem were not fixed, Robbins said, the roadway could become undermined as well.

Balduf told the board that "progress was being made" to repair the drainage pipes.

The only other item left from the board's original list of work is installation of large stormwater drainage units. Venincasa has submitted to Balduf designs for an alternative solution, which would be less costly, but Balduf said he has not had time to evaluate the new designs.

Residents of Imperial Court told the board that there were serious basement flooding issues at their condos as a result of poor drainage design. Venincasa told the board that those issues had been fixed, which the residents disputed. The Planning Board said it would investigate.

Several Orchard Hill residents were concerned that the remaining work wouldn't get done. Planning Board Chair Edward Newton told them that pulling Venincasa's bond was not the quickest way to get the work done. If the bond were pulled, Newton said, the Planning Board would have to follow public bidding laws, which would drag the work out, whereas pressuring Venincasa was finally working.

"What we have done with Mr. Venincasa is much more effective than taking his money," Robbins said.

Newton told residents that both Robbins and Balduf would be extremely busy over the next few weeks with the impending opening of Bay State Commons, and would not be able to focus on Orchard Hill until November. Residents complained that they felt like small fish but Newton disagreed, saying the board had been working to protect their interests.

The public hearing was continued to Tuesday Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.