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No Appeal Of Project Denial
The deadline to file an appeal of the denial of the multifamily special permit and site plan review for the proposed Rice Pond Village project, which was proposed to have 46-residential units on the 15.4822± acres of land, passed on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. The Millbury Planning Board's denial decision was a sound and defensible one based upon the facts presented, most importantly public safety.
Don't Prioritize Affordable Housing Over Public Safety
On February 14, 2022, Valentine's Day, the developers, Steven F. Venincasa and James M. Venincasa, doing business this time around as Whitney Street Home Builders, LLC, were not feeling the love from the Millbury Planning Board when with a simple majority vote (as required) denied the special permit application and site plan review for a multifamily use for a proposed 46-unit condominium project.
One Year Hiatus Determination
On Tuesday, February 22, 2022, one of our neighbors submitted a formal written request to the Millbury Board of Selectmen and Town Manager on behalf of the neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods to obtain a legal opinion and confirmation from town counsel on the applicability of 760 CMR 56.03(7) and statutory one-year hiatus as it applies to the denial of the proposed Rice Pond Village project.
Preview Of Chapter 40B Development
This is a preview of the type of high density that developer, Steven F. Venincasa, threatened the neighborhood and Town of Millbury with, if the Millbury Planning Board did not concede to his demand to remove the conditions of having to fund the Providence & Worcester Railroad crossing improvements at Rice Road.
Cooling Off Period
On February 14, 2022, the Millbury Planning Board denied the a multifamily special permit and site plan review application for the proposed Rice Pond Village project, under 760 CMR 56.03(7), there is a "cooling off period" between the denial of a special permit and the application process of any Chapter 40B - Comprehensive Permit to begin.
Rice Pond Village Denial
On Monday, January 24, 2022 and Monday, February 14, 2022, the Millbury Planning Board voted to deny the multifamily special permit and site plan review for the proposed Rice Pond Village project, proposed to have 46-dwelling units, on the 15.4822± acres of land owned by the Rice Pond Realty Trust, John Antaya, Kathleen (McLaughlin) Mardirosian, and the McLaughlin Family Living Trust; and the applicant Whitney Street Home Builders LLC, while approving the post-construction stormwater management permit for the proposed Rice Pond Village project with a project address of 17 Rice Road in Millbury, Massachusetts.