Neighbors working together to preserve our neighborhoods and beyond.
Filter Blog Posts
Chapter 40B Public Hearing - July 10, 2024
The upcoming public hearing for the proposed Chapter 40B Rice Pond Village project will be hosted by the Millbury Board of Appeals. It is scheduled for Wednesday, July 10, 2024, starting at 7:00 PM. The venue for this event will be at the Millbury Senior Center, situated at 1 River Street in Millbury, Massachusetts. Attending in person is encouraged for maximum participation.
Protect The Rice Pond Wetlands Habitat
Concerned residents are encouraged to attend the Millbury Conservation Commission meeting. Our neighborhood has requested a deeded conservation restriction from the Millbury Board of Appeals to protect the wetland resources of Rice Pond, located behind the houses on the north side of Rice Road, including its feeder brooks and outlets that feed into the Blackstone River watershed. The request should be made to the Millbury Conservation Commission to impose the deeded conservation restrictions on the property. According to the Berlin Conservation Commission, this developer has received multiple stop work orders in Berlin for wetlands violations for their Highland Ridge Condominiums, a Chapter 40B project consisting of 66 duplex condominiums. There is also a recent allegation of the destruction and removal of a beaver dam in Shrewsbury.
Chapter 40B Public Hearing - June 26, 2024
The upcoming public hearing for the proposed Chapter 40B Rice Pond Village project will be hosted by the Millbury Board of Appeals. It is scheduled for Wednesday, June 26, 2024, starting at 7:00 PM. The venue for this event will be at the Millbury Senior Center, situated at 1 River Street in Millbury, Massachusetts. Attending in person is encouraged for maximum participation.
Neighborhood Rebuttal To Developers Responses
Our neighborhood has shifted our position three times, starting from denial to reaching a compromise of 96 apartments (50%), and finally settling on our firm limit of 160 apartments (83%) with 1.7 full-size parking spaces per apartment and each of the other 18 minimum conditions being met. Despite our efforts to find common ground, Steven Venincasa and James Venincasa have consistently refused to engage in balanced discussions with our neighborhood and town. Our neighborhood and the community are awaiting Steven Venincasa and James Venincasa’s response to our final proposal.
Recap Of Chapter 40B Public Hearing #11
Explore the latest updates on the Chapter 40B Rice Pond Village project in Millbury, MA. Get insights from the eleventh public hearing by the Millbury Board of Appeals held on June 12, 2024. Learn about the neighborhood’s minimum conditions that want placed upon any decisions made by the board.
Developers Reject Most Of The Neighborhood Conditions
Our neighborhood had hoped for cooperation from the developers, expecting them to engage positively and act as responsible developers by agreeing to many of our reasonable requests. However, that optimism was not realized. This further solidifies the perception that Steven Venincasa and James Venincasa disregard the community's well-being, which we fear will be adversely affected, worsening the previously identified public safety issues with their proposed Rice Pond Village project.