By K.B. Sherman, Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – An alleged trucking terminal was the subject of criticism and debate at the Planning Board's Aug. 2 meeting.
In late 2011, GFI Partners purchased the lot at 249 Hartford Turnpike for which it? indicated in its building permit application would be used as a “contractor's lot.” Under town bylaws, a contractor's lot is a space where a contractor can simply store building material and associated equipment.
The property is a 13-acre wooded lot zoned for limited industrial use. The site abuts a residential zoned area and was separated only from that area by some trees. The site was then leased to Xtra Lease, whose web page indicates that it offers over 80,000 trailers for lease or rent and is based in St. Louis as part of the Berkshire Hathaway Group.
GFI's business representative, attorney Mark Donahue, told the Planning Board that his client had been waiting an unreasonable amount of time for the site's occupancy permit to be issued, which, he claimed, was to have been issued within 35 days of the application. Noting that this was a public meeting, rather than a public hearing, Donahue also said to the abutters in attendance that the property owner had no obligation to notify them of the evening's hearing. He finished his opening remarks by stating that since the site had been completed, the Planning Board had no further power to ask for changes.
Planning Board Chair Melvin Gordon disagreed saying that he had letters from Patricia Sheehan, the town's building inspector, Police Chief James Hester Jr. and the Board of Health all regarding their various concerns with the operation of the site. Those issues included noise and dirt coming from the site, operations on site outside of the hours stated on the building permit application, the storage of up to 80 trailers, and diesel trucks left idling on site.
A number of abutters then rose to address the board. Adam Gordon, 17 Hickory Dr., stated that he had been assured by GFI that the site would be used only to store boxes but instead it is being used as a trucking terminal, in violation of town bylaws. He said he can see dozens of large metal trailers from his backyard since the land owner has clear-cut the entire adjacent lot of trees, leaving only a few trees between his property and that of the business property.
Other abutters also noted that trucks were left idling and that dirt blows into their yards.
Gordon replied that the board had been aware of these problems for only three weeks. The board has to balance the rights of residential and commercial interests, he added.
The meeting ended with Donahue promising to provide the board with a monthly plan to abate the dirt/dust problem through wetting-down the dirt or by some other means.
Residents protest alleged trucking terminal in neighborhood
By K.B. Sherman
Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – An alleged trucking terminal was the subject of criticism and debate at the Planning Board's Aug. 2 meeting.
In late 2011, GFI Partners purchased the lot at 249 Hartford Turnpike for which it? indicated in its building permit application would be used as a “contractor's lot.” Under town bylaws, a contractor's lot is a space where a contractor can simply store building material and associated equipment.
The property is a 13-acre wooded lot zoned for limited industrial use. The site abuts a residential zoned area and was separated only from that area by some trees. The site was then leased to Xtra Lease, whose web page indicates that it offers over 80,000 trailers for lease or rent and is based in St. Louis as part of the Berkshire Hathaway Group.
GFI's business representative, attorney Mark Donahue, told the Planning Board that his client had been waiting an unreasonable amount of time for the site's occupancy permit to be issued, which, he claimed, was to have been issued within 35 days of the application. Noting that this was a public meeting, rather than a public hearing, Donahue also said to the abutters in attendance that the property owner had no obligation to notify them of the evening's hearing. He finished his opening remarks by stating that since the site had been completed, the Planning Board had no further power to ask for changes.
Planning Board Chair Melvin Gordon disagreed saying that he had letters from Patricia Sheehan, the town's building inspector, Police Chief James Hester Jr. and the Board of Health all regarding their various concerns with the operation of the site. Those issues included noise and dirt coming from the site, operations on site outside of the hours stated on the building permit application, the storage of up to 80 trailers, and diesel trucks left idling on site.
A number of abutters then rose to address the board. Adam Gordon, 17 Hickory Dr., stated that he had been assured by GFI that the site would be used only to store boxes but instead it is being used as a trucking terminal, in violation of town bylaws. He said he can see dozens of large metal trailers from his backyard since the land owner has clear-cut the entire adjacent lot of trees, leaving only a few trees between his property and that of the business property.
Other abutters also noted that trucks were left idling and that dirt blows into their yards.
Gordon replied that the board had been aware of these problems for only three weeks. The board has to balance the rights of residential and commercial interests, he added.
The meeting ended with Donahue promising to provide the board with a monthly plan to abate the dirt/dust problem through wetting-down the dirt or by some other means.
