Yesterday, the Zoning Board of Appeals met to continue the hearing on Park Central Developments. The hearing will now take place on Monday, August 8th at 7:30 pm. (That’s nine days before the previously announced postponement date.)
According to Chair Leo Barolini, the date change was at the request of the applicant.
As promised, Bartolini also raised stepping down as chair for the project. That decision is also postponed to the 8th.
Bartolini asked members David Eagle and Paul Drepanos to decide which would take the spot. Drepanos preferred Eagle to take lead as the more senior member. But Eagle responded, “I don’t think I can.”
The Chair offered to allow them the weekend to think on it. They will discuss again on Monday night. Prior to that, the full board will meet at 7:00 pm to discuss who will step up as board Chair.
On Tuesday night, Board of Selectmen Chair John Rooney said the ZBA would also look at the Vice/Co Chair position. That title was recently accepted by ZBA member Andrew Dennington, after the former Co Chair Thomas Bhistikul resigned.
Dennington has only held it since mid June. He doesn’t participate in the Park Central hearings and wasn’t named in the resident petition complaining about Bartolini.
Presumably, Bartolini told selectmen that Dennington may replace him as Chair. That would leave the Co Chair spot open for another member.
In related news, during public comments on Tuesday nights two residents objected to the handling of the petition to remove Bartolini. John Green told selectmen they weren’t listening to residents.
Karen Shimkus said “there is no satisfaction from what has just transpired tonight.” Her complaint extended to the appointment of a new member, which she believed was without appropriate notice.
Shimkus said she was disturbed by lack of transparency. She said that she and others got the agenda with less than 48 hours notice, but still showed up for the meeting. She pointed out that the agenda doesn’t post that a vote would be made. She told the board that they may have done the Town a disservice, missing out on “other, very qualified candidates who could have stepped up.”
Rooney angrily shut down Shimkus’ attempt to question the new appointee, Craig Nicholson. He told her the board’s decision had been made. She argued that it was made without input from the people who elect them.
The Chair also rebutted that the agenda shows they were going to interview candidates. He furthered that the opening was advertised for more than a month in advance and interviewed candidates had submitted applications.
Shimkus went on to complain that the Town government lacks “the glue” or leadership holding boards together on big projects.
She moved on to cite a November 2013 report on the Route 495 & Route 9 Interchange from MassDOT. The report includes the following recommendation:
Left turns from the new connector road [between Park Central Drive and Flagg Road] would be prohibited to reduce traffic on Flagg Road, a narrow roadway which serves a residential neighborhood.
Shimkus told the board that the report has been on the state website for years. She wondered why “apparently there has been no cognisance” of the statement which seems to conflict with the Draft Environmental Impact Report.
The board didn’t have a response, but agreed they would be scheduling another discussion on Flagg Road for a future agenda.
[Note: I’m not sure when and precisely how the Town advertised the vacancy. But I know that I began posting about it as far back as June 20th with news that the appointment was delayed on June 30th.]
Updated (8/8/16 1:18 pm): I originally forgot to include the link to the MassDOT report that Shimkus cited.
At this point I would advise CGP to take the town to court, win, sue for damages, and put in true low income housing. That would cost the town a boatload and put some very nice neighbors in for the area and still keep the traffic levels high. I understand the communities concern completely but some who represent you will soon lead to destruction in their pride instead of true comprise.