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Peabody Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr.
By LEAH DEARBORN
PEABODY — Residents don’t think a new development on Birch Street will be a blast.
Tuesday night’s meeting called to discuss the project filled over half the available seats in the Frank L. Wiggin Auditorium despite torrential evening rains. Residents took the podium to speak about truck traffic, blasting, drainage, flooding and the clear cutting of the land.
Subdivision plans call for 23 single-family homes and one substandard lot.
“I just want to make it clear that city council doesn’t have a vote,” said Ward 6 Councilor Barry Sinewitz, who called the meeting to provide a forum for residents to voice concerns about the development.
Sinewitz called the meeting an opportunity to frame issues of concern so that an order of conditions can be developed for use by the Planning Board.
The impact of the project on the nearby John E. Burke Elementary School surfaced numerous times throughout the meeting.
“During the school year when I’m home, on the corner of Terri and Heath, kids are being picked up,” said Heath Road resident Robert Kolenda. “Every single day, Monday through Friday. We can’t have the trucks going in those neighborhoods. Period.”
Interim Superintendent Herbert W. Levine of Hamilton Road spoke, in addition to several city department heads who also were in attendance.
Levine offered advice based on his experiences building schools in the area. He asked for the developer to look at blasting over rock crushing if breaking through ledge becomes necessary.
“I’m even concerned about the noise of a stone crusher impeding the teaching at the Burke school,” said Levine, who said residents should remain vigilant about the project.
Sinewitz offered a few possible solutions to alleviate traffic. He said that during past development projects in Ward 1, police created registered truck routes with the aid of the Department of Transportation. He also suggested creating an access route through the back of Boston Street.
The conversation drew to a close with Sinewitz making a motion for Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr. to meet with the developer to discuss creating the access road.
“Everyone has the right to do what they want with their own land, but it’s not going to be at the expense of the quality of life of everyone else,” said Sinewitz.
If the development moves forward, work will likely begin on the property during the spring of 2017.