Letters To Planning Board

More than a super majority of abutters (more than 67%) sent opposition letters to the Millbury Planning Board articulating their significant concerns about the proposed Rice Pond Village project with a project site address of 17 Rice Road in Millbury, Massachusetts.

Dear Planning Board Members:

I/We are in strong opposition of the proposed project put forth by the McLaughlin Family Trust, John Antaya (husband of Patricia (McLaughlin) Antaya)) and Kathleen (McLaughlin) Mardirosian, and Whitney Street Home Builders, LLC for 52 condominium (duplex) units at 17 Rice Road in Millbury, Massachusetts. However, I/we do support the owners’ right to develop their property in full compliance with the current Millbury Zoning Bylaws (no special permits or variances required) in harmony with the existing neighborhoods.

As a member of this community yourself, I/we hope that all of the public comments submitted to the Millbury Planning Board for your consideration will assist you in upholding your obligations to protect and serve the existing neighborhoods of Millbury residents and deny all special permits and variances requested for the proposed Rice Pond Village Project (17 Rice Road) as submitted for the outlined objections:

• The scale and magnitude are too great for the proposed site and neighborhoods that surround this proposed project (congestion);

• Rice Road is a minor 40-foot Right of Way that is in poor condition, that cannot reasonably support the additional volume of traffic (minimum of 104± vehicles) and there are poor sight lines approaching the railroad crossing in both directions and narrow pavement width (hazardous);

• The proposed development has a 1.98 times greater density than the existing neighborhood (Rice Road, Thomas Hill Road, Aldrich Avenue and Captain Peter Simpson Road) and when completed will be 56% of the dwelling units in only 39% of the land area of the neighborhood (congestion and higher probability of conflicts);

• The density of the proposed condominium units is too close together and there is no tangible limited common areas for residents which will create a greater opportunity for conflicts between neighbors (congestion and higher probability of conflicts);

• The proposed parking is insufficient for the actual needs that has the potential to impact street parking in the existing roads, normal and safe traffic flow, and snow removal efforts (congestion);

• Common-sense dictates that there will be a noticeable increase in train (railroad) and traffic noise from Providence Road as there is currently in the fall/winter/spring (nuisance); and

• Adding 52 more dwelling units will further tax our water and sewer infrastructure (rationing of resources (water bans)).

Thank you kindly for your anticipated support,

No	Street	Suffix	Map	Parcel	Agree
1	Aldrich	Ave	63	78	No
2	Aldrich	Ave	63	101	No
3	Aldrich	Ave	63	79	No
4	Aldrich	Ave	63	100	No
13	Curve	St	54	27	No
10	Jackie	Dr	54	21	No
20	Jackie	Dr	54	18	No
	Providence	St	63	77	No
30	Providence	St	54	130	No
38	Providence	St	54	33	No
1	Rice	Rd	63	74	No
2	Rice	Rd	63	113	No
3	Rice	Rd	63	129	No
4	Rice	Rd	63	112	No
5	Rice	Rd	63	128	No
6	Rice	Rd	63	111	No
7	Rice	Rd	63	127	No
9	Rice	Rd	63	126	No
10	Rice	Rd	63	110	No
11	Rice	Rd	63	130	No
12	Rice	Rd	63	109	No
14	Rice	Rd	63	108	No
19	Rice	Rd	63	76	No
20	Rice	Rd	63	102	No
66	S Main	St	63	62	No
67	S Main	St	63	72	No
68	S Main	St	63	141	No
74	S Main	St	63	60	No
76	S Main	St	63	61	No
77	S Main	St	63	114	No
78	S Main	St	63	59	No
1	Thomas Hill	Rd	63	103	No
3	Thomas Hill	Rd	63	104	No
4	Thomas Hill	Rd	63	107	No
5	Thomas Hill	Rd	63	105	No
6	Thomas Hill	Rd	63	106	No

Those properties are considered direct abutters of the proposed project by the Millbury Assessor.

No	Street	Suffix	Map	Parcel	Agree
1	Capt Peter Simpson	Rd	63	84	No
3	Capt Peter Simpson	Rd	63	85	No
4	Capt Peter Simpson	Rd	63	82	No
7	Capt Peter Simpson	Rd	63	87	No
12	Capt Peter Simpson	Rd	63	96	No
13	Capt Peter Simpson	Rd	63	89	No
14	Capt Peter Simpson	Rd	63	95	No
15	Capt Peter Simpson	Rd	63	90	No
16	Capt Peter Simpson	Rd	63	94	No
18	Capt Peter Simpson	Rd	63	93	No
8	Thomas Hill	Rd	63	99	No
11	Thomas Hill	Rd	63	80	No
12	Thomas Hill	Rd	63	98	No
13	Thomas Hill	Rd	63	81	No
14	Thomas Hill	Rd	63	87	No

Those properties who have no other means of entry or egress other than Rice Road and will be impacted by the proposed Rice Pond Village project.

This is the results of an initial poll of direct and in-direct abutters on Thomas Hill Road and Captain Peter Simpson Road.

The strong opposition to the proposed Rice Pond Village project has nothing to do with NIMBY. In fact, the neighborhood agrees that the McLaughlin Family Living Trust, John Antaya, and Kathleen Mardirosian have the right to develop their property in a responsible and neighborhood appropriate manner, meaning any development is in harmony with the surrounding properties (i.e., single-family houses).

---

NIMBY, an acronym for the phrase “not in my back yard”, or Nimby, is a characterization of opposition by residents to proposed developments in their local area, as well as support for strict land use regulations. It carries the connotation that such residents are only opposing the development because it is close to them and that they would tolerate or support it if it were built farther away. The residents are often called Nimbys, and their viewpoint is called Nimbyism.