It’s not often that the Town Council is asked to weigh in on a project that has not technically gone through Zoning and Planning review and been put before them, but that is what happened at the meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

“Typically these are receive-and-files for us,” said Council Chairman Nathan Calouro, of the letter and petition received from residents objecting to the proposed development of a Mainstay/Sleep Inn Hotel on Gooding Avenue that will require filling in some 50,000 square feet of wetlands in the Silver Creek watershed.

The plans have been sent to DEM for their review, and the DEM in turn sent a request for comment to neighbors and abutters. In response, Edward and Emily Spinard of Dartmouth Street presented the Council with a letter and petition with some 100 signatures, noting that the application sent to DEM by would-be developers KenDan LLC states “The projects is consistent with local zoning and is supported by the Town of Bristol.”

Citing existing flooding concerns as well as the planned construction of a new $200 million Mt. Hope High School right downstream, the petitioners asked the Council to clarify their “support” of the plan as well as their concerns.

Council says claims of support were premature
“I’m not aware of this Council ever taking official action supporting that,” said Calouro. “Nor did we take action to say we don't want it there. I and my colleagues believe in the process at the local level, and there is a clear and difficult DEM process, and I believe it needs to go through it.”

In addition to correcting the record about the Town support of the project, petitioners asked the Council to share the Town’s flooding concerns with DEM — concerns that already exist prior to any further development along that watershed.

According to the petitioners’ letter, their concern is that DEM has all the information they need to conduct a fair and comprehensive analysis.

“I think we definitely need to send a letter to the DEM, indicating that this council obviously did not support this hotel,” said Councilor Tim Sweeney. “And also, I think we need to make it clear that we are very concerned about the flooding in that area.”

“I agree with that,” said Councilor Mary Parella. “We haven't officially (supported this project). We've heard this issue before…I think there's a great number of concerns, but we'll stick to the water issues at the moment.”

Councilor Aaron Ley reiterated those same concerns, noting that he has walked the petitioners’ neighborhood many times and is very familiar with their flooding issues, something the town has spent years and a lot of resources trying to correct. “My concerns in that area rise to a pretty grave level, and I hope that DEM will perform a very comprehensive analysis of any type of project that will be put near a neighborhood like that,” said Ley.
Petitioner Ted Spinard briefly addressed the Council.

“We’re asking the Council to let DEM know that there is a serious problem and to urge them to do a comprehensive and detailed assessment of that development in terms of how it might impact the flooding as well as the construction of the new high school,” he said. “The second thing is that the applicant has indicated that the town supports it, and we just wanted the Council to clarify to DEM that at this point you have not supported it, or you denied it. It needs to go through the vetting process in the town.”

A motion was made to send a letter to DEM noting that the town does not support the project as indicated, with Calouro noting that it is important to say the the Council is officially neutral on it at this time, while letting DEM know about the flooding concerns.

Community Development Director Diane Williamson added that she will provide a watershed study to be included in that letter to assist the DEM with their review.