The Haverhill Board of Appeals last night denied Pinnacle Builders developer Mark Salvo’s application to expand the size of a 57 S. New St. lot in the Wood School neighborhood last night.
Citing concerns about increasing traffic on South New Street, flooding from displaced groundwater and the character of Wood School changing, neighbors to the property came out in force to oppose Salvo’s request, saying that they had written a petition that received 150 signatures. With many more looking on, eight spoke before the board.
Pinnacle owns two adjacent lots and plans to build four houses to replace the existing single-family structure. One of the properties is slightly short the square footage normally required for a duplex.
Russell S. Channen, Salvo’s lawyer, spoke first at the New Street hearing, arguing the proposed development would bring housing to a city where the need is “extraordinary” and would not significantly alter the character of an area that already has some multi-family homes. In addition, he called their request to increase the size of the lot by 10% “minimal.”
Trying to address one of what he called residents’ “laundry list of objections,” he pointed out that Salvo plans to redirect rain into the ground underneath the property, with the hope of decreasing runoff into nearby lots.
Paul McElroy, who said he has worked in construction for over 30 years, disagreed this would alleviate flooding. He said groundwater causes most of the problems in the area to begin with. “Even in the summertime, I can dig down a foot where my shed is, and I hit water,” he said.
David Gaiero, an abutter to the property in question, told WHAV that water pooling at 57 S. New St. streams into his backyard. Another Wood School resident, Emile “Bert” Lacerte Jr., said construction of two foundations would displace groundwater and increase flooding. Karen Gaiero added she worries rising water levels will allow water to seep into the generator.
Also on Lacerte’s list of concerns was a lack of paved sidewalks along South New Street, which other neighbors echoed. Carly Roberts pointed out that recent residential developments and changed school bus routes have increased traffic, adding that she has almost been hit multiple times. The duplexes would only make the problem worse.
“Just about half of the neighbors walk in our area on almost a daily basis, and it’s frightening sometimes, so increasing the level of traffic in our neighborhood is a hardship,” she said.
Board of Appeals member Louise C. Bevilacqua asked Roberts whether children walk along the street to school, prompting murmurs of assent from the crowd.
Their destination, the nearby Caleb Dustin Hunking School, is already overcrowded, according to Jennifer Carter and other speakers. The proposed duplexes would only exacerbate the problem, along with increasing construction in an area which she said already has a new apartment complex and multi-use project underway.
The character of the neighborhood is under threat, according to Carter and Josiah Morrow.
“You have to know the Wood School neighborhood in order to understand why this is a concern,” Morrow said. “This is an enclave in Bradford. It’s much different than other parts of the town. It is very quiet, secluded.”
Commenting on her vote against Salvo’s request, Bevilacqua said she does not want two new duplexes to disrupt the street, which is mostly 100-year-old, single-family homes.
Chairman George Moriarty also voted no, with members Lynda M. Brown, Kassie Infante and Magdiel Matias voting yes. Ronald LaPlume and Gary Ortiz were absent.
Moriarty made clear that this is only one step in the process the development would go through before construction could begin. He said the Conservation Commission and city department heads must review the plans first, which may now only contain one single-family home and one duplex.