Opposition To The Rice Road Project – Millbury, MA
Our neighborhood and other residents of Millbury have sent or are sending opposition email messages to local and state officials for the proposed Chapter 40B LIP project slated for Rice Road in Millbury, Massachusetts to make our positions clear and known. While our neighborhood is not against the development of the property located at 17 Rice Road, we simply are asking for appropriate and responsible development that is compatible with the density and magnitude of the 43 existing single-family neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods, and in full compliance with all local and state regulations. As articulated below, this ill-conceived proposed Chapter 40B project is a “square peg round hole” scenario. We are not opposed to affordable housing and think that there are probably more appropriate sites in Millbury on a major street that does not have the significant public safety issues that Steven Venicasa has adamantly refused to mitigate and resolve, as documented in the public hearing recordings, communications, and in “negotiations” with town officials, which lead to the Millbury Planning Board’s denial decision for the previous 46-condominium project submission at the same location.
To: Millbury Board of Appeals and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development
Cc: Millbury Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, Town Planner, Building Inspector, Police Chief, Fire Chief, Massachusetts Senator Michael Moore, Massachusetts Representative Paul Frost, and key representatives of the parent company of the Providence & Worcester Railroad
Subject: Opposition to the Rice Road Project – Millbury, MA
We are writing to you today to express our significant concerns with the proposed Chapter 40B project on Rice Road in Millbury, Massachusetts, which is anticipated to be submitted by SJV Investments, LLC (the corporate officials being Steven Venicasa and James Venincasa (the “developer”)) on or after February 14, 2023, for consideration and a determination by the Millbury Board of Appeals and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. It has come to our attention that public safety is being overlooked and what is being proposed is outside the existing zoning bylaws and subdivision rules and regulations for the intended property.
We disagree with allowing the developer road access when the road is not of legal width, lacking required egresses, and due to the documented significant public safety issues. This will create a very unsafe roadway due to the tremendous amount of traffic proposed.
The access to Rice Road from Providence Street is not designed for such traffic load and cannot be expanded due to the Providence & Worcester Railroad crossing (and property ownership), and the current roadway right-of-way without the use of eminent domain (private land takings) which we do not believe this proposed private project would be an applicable use of the statutes, which only amplifies public safety issues. This ill-conceived project is simply a “square peg round hole” scenario.
It is our belief that there are other areas within Millbury that would be better suited for a development of this magnitude, sited on a major street without the unique characteristics and constrains that Rice Road presents. The property should be allowed to be appropriately and responsibly developed, in full compliance with the zoning.
This neighborhood is made up of single-family homes, most single story. Creating a development with 192-apartments, with building heights of four stories is an incompatible design from a perspective of the proposed use, conceptual site plan and building massing, topography, environmental resources, and integration into existing development patterns of the existing neighborhood and surrounding areas. This not only would take away from the feel of the area but in our opinion would diminish existing housing values while increasing public safety issues due to the inadequacy of Rice Road, the Providence & Worcester Railroad crossing, and the intersections at both ends of Rice Road (i.e., South Main Street and Providence Street).
We request that the project be rejected by the town and state for the reason of maintaining the existing flow of the area, ensuring public safety of our citizens, guaranteeing the investments of each homeowner directly impacted by the proposed Rice Road project or be drastically scaled-back to address each of the public safety issues.