Boston Sand & Gravel is attempting to open a Concrete Batch Plant next to a conservation land on Old Connecticut Path in Framingham, according to an e-mail I receieved today.
The site, at 597 Old Connecticut Path, "is in close proximity to the Oaks Neighborhood and its many families and residents, Reardon Park, the Cochichuate Rail Trail, an Cochichuate Brooker Reservation conservation land and water. The property also abuts a residential zoned area." The special permit calls for "a 75-foot tall silo to house their hazardous concrete dust, concrete block borders, and heavy machinery," the e-mail says.
If true, very bad idea, and I hope the special permit is denied. As it is, there's a delicate mix of office space and residential in that area, and there's going to be a heavy increase in traffic nearby as the Village of Danforth Farms and its many hundreds of new residences come online. Adding heavy industrial activity to the area is unwise. Appealing mixed-use zoning does NOT mean sticking a concrete factory next to a residential neighborhood and conservation land.
I used to inspect Concrete batch plants when I worked for the Florida Dept of Environmental Protection. The main
ReplyDeleteconcerns I think you'd have are the dust on the nearby conservation lands stifiling the plants and wildlife, air
quality concerns, noise, and runoff. Sometimes theres an odor too. The runoff (if properly designed) is contained
so that it doesnt cloud nearby waterways and storm drains. But they do not always maintain the facility. I'd check
into the history of this particular company and find out what thier environmental record is like. But you are doing
a good thing by alerting the residents of the area since they will also be effected by big trucks going up and down
the main roads. Sometimes those places operate late into the evening, or leave lights on for safety which is light
pollution for the residents nearby. Almost all the cbp's in FL are nestled in the industrial areas, near airports,
and far away from people. I think that if your council/board is any bit concerned about the area or about thier
constituents, they will deny the special permit. The heavy trucks add more wear and tear to the roads which adds to
maintenance costs. And if there is any streetscaping, those type of trucks repeatedly driving over brick crosswalks
and hitting medians will surely devalue the mixed use area and take away pedestrian safety.
I think this area is within about a mile of the gravel pit on
ReplyDeleteOld Conn Path, and the Rosenberg concrete place on Rte 30 in
Natick. Just a stone's throw from the "upscale" new Mall. What
a wonderful area it's becoming.