Green Street vote delayed for 7th time

LYNN – Sean Crowley will get one more chance to win the Zoning Board of Appeals’ approval for his Green Street development but the board agreed it will be his last.”We have been here seven times,” said Robin Rogers, whose backyard abuts the project. “And seven times they have been unprepared.”Crowley, who didn’t appear at Tuesday’s ZBA hearing, has appeared before the ZBA six times trying to win approval for a townhouse project for 113-117 Green St. Rogers was one of about a dozen residents who turned out to oppose the project.The initial proposal put forth last spring by Crowley included building six row houses on the L shaped lot. That plan was reduced to five and during the last hearing on Sept. 3, Crowley reduced it to four.ZBA Chairman Patrick Calnan said it’s not unusual to continue a hearing particularly when the scope of the project is reduced. He said the board needs complete plans before it can rule on a project and the plans get submitted to the Registry of Deeds so they need to be clear.”We can’t afford to make mistakes,” he said.Board member Ron Mendes said he saw nothing ordinary about the Green Street project.”We met on this three times before we denied it,” he said. “Then we voted to reconsider and we continued it the last time. I was against it the last time and I’m against it again.”Historical Commission Chairman Carl Greenler also voiced concerns over the project. He said he thought it would be detrimental to several historic homes in the area but Calnan cut him off, stating it was not the proper time to raise the issue.Crowley requested the continuance in a letter through his attorney, T. Richard Cuffe, who also failed to attend the hearing. ZBA member Norm Cole read the letter to the board and in it Cuffe said they needed more time to put together the complete plans.Cole made a motion to continue the hearing but with two caveats, that it would be the final hearing for the project and that all of the neighbors should also receive copies of the plans prior to the meeting, the same as board members.”The plans will be voted on Nov. 19,” he reiterated. “That’s it.”The board voted 4-1 to continue the hearing to its next meeting on Nov. 19 with Mendes in opposition.When one neighbor asked what would happen if Crowley failed to show up ZBA member Jean Curley told him not to worry.”If they don’t show up they will be in big trouble,” she said.