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,

NoStreetSuffixMapParcelAgree
1AldrichAve6378No
2AldrichAve63101No
3AldrichAve6379No
4AldrichAve63100No
13CurveSt5427No
10JackieDr5421No
20JackieDr5418No
ProvidenceSt6377No
30ProvidenceSt54130No
38ProvidenceSt5433No
1RiceRd6374No
2RiceRd63113No
3RiceRd63129No
4RiceRd63112No
5RiceRd63128No
6RiceRd63111No
7RiceRd63127No
9RiceRd63126No
10RiceRd63110No
11RiceRd63130No
12RiceRd63109No
14RiceRd63108No
19RiceRd6376No
20RiceRd63102No
66S MainSt6362No
67S MainSt6372No
68S MainSt63141No
74S MainSt6360No
76S MainSt6361No
77S MainSt63114No
78S MainSt6359No
1Thomas HillRd63103No
3Thomas HillRd63104No
4Thomas HillRd63107No
5Thomas HillRd63105No
6Thomas HillRd63106No

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

NoStreetSuffixMapParcelAgree
1Capt Peter SimpsonRd6384No
3Capt Peter SimpsonRd6385No
4Capt Peter SimpsonRd6382No
7Capt Peter SimpsonRd6387No
12Capt Peter SimpsonRd6396No
13Capt Peter SimpsonRd6389No
14Capt Peter SimpsonRd6395No
15Capt Peter SimpsonRd6390No
16Capt Peter SimpsonRd6394No
18Capt Peter SimpsonRd6393No
8Thomas HillRd6399No
11Thomas HillRd6380No
12Thomas HillRd6398No
13Thomas HillRd6381No
14Thomas HillRd6387No

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.

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