SWAMPSCOTT — Communication became the most pressing concern for the abutters of the new elementary school at the last SelectBoard meeting.
After a public hearing two weeks ago, the board voted Wednesday to approve the Earth Removal Permit for the new elementary school, expanding the radius of properties that can potentially request a pre-blasting survey to 1,000 feet.
Residents who had a chance to give public comments during the meeting stressed the importance of communication about the school project with the town.
Stephen Rosenberg, one of the abutters of the future new school, complained that the town had failed to share the draft of the Permit on its website so that the public could be informed about its details.
“No one is against building a school, we are all on the same team,” said Rosenberg. “The town needs to build trust and relationships with the neighborhood, since it is this same neighborhood that will determine how to best work with the issues that this school will bring, not just the two years of demolition and construction.”
Rosenberg asked the SelectBoard to make sure that a designated paid town employee is made available to receive feedback from neighbors and address concerns. He also requested that the town post important information online, such as a master schedule and timeline, for example, and provide daily updates about daily blasting schedules with a description of all demolition and construction projects slated to take place on the property, remediation plans, and details about lead or toxin removal.
SelectBoard member Peter Spellios said that absence of the draft permit online was an “unforced error” that undermined “hundreds of hours of meetings that volunteers and professional staff have been doing for the last two years.”
Board member MaryEllen Fletcher proposed to expand the radius for pre-blast survey up to 1,500 ft., as many properties in that area have a fieldstone foundation, she said.
“I think there is a way for us to make it more palatable for the neighborhood,” said Fletcher about the inconveniences the project will bring upon the abutters.
Spellios said that 1,500 ft. was too far outside of the blasting radius stipulations in the state regulations and such a drastic increase would open up a precedent for other earth removal permits in the future.
The majority of the SelectBoard voted to provide residents within 300 to 500 ft. with a mailer, giving them an opportunity for a free pre-blasting survey if they choose to. Properties within 500 to 1,000 ft. will be able to request a pre-blast survey as well, but it will be approved by the town on a case-by-case basis.
Per state regulations, residences within 250 ft. are entitled to an opportunity for a free pre-blast survey. The board expanded this radius to 300 ft.
Fletcher voted “no” on the permit, saying that the verbiage about the pre-blasting survey was not specific enough to provide abutters that own properties farther than 500 ft. from the project site with a clear opportunity to receive the free survey.
The hours of actual blasting were limited in the final permit to between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Construction activities, however, are allowed to occur between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and no later than 6 p.m. if additional time is needed to complete an operation.
The SelectBoard decided to limit blast vibration to 2 inches per second.
Otherwise, the permit provides for demolition of the existing Stanley School in its entirety. While earth removal is going on, pavement at the site will be preserved for trucks hauling material from the site.
The permit requires daily dust control, and water spraying will be used on exposed soil, demolition, excavations and on excavated materials during loading to reduce emissions. The trucks are required to be covered with tarpaulins or other appropriate covering and truck tires shall be rinsed on-site prior to exiting onto town streets.
The town is now preparing to address an appeal against the Conservation Commission’s order of conditions filed by some Swampscott residents with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), which suggests that the project is encroaching on wetlands and wildlife habitat areas.
After MassDEP comes for a site visit, the town will go through the appeal process, said Marzie Galazka, director of community and economic development in Swampscott. When the issue is resolved, it will be able to bid out contracts for the new school project and apply for building permits.
Alena Kuzub can be reached at [email protected].
