This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
01/27/2016 07:00 AMThe Jan. 21 article “CVS Developer Proposes ‘Floating Zone’ in Clinton” missed an important fact. Selectman John Giannotti owns property where the applicant wants to jam a CVS at Clinton’s most congested Route 1 intersection, which has seen numerous serious accidents.
Giannotti’s partner, Mark Richards, chairs the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), which recently granted a variance allowing a 186,000 square foot building for a recycling dump on Route 145, despite the zoning enforcement officer’s opinion that it wouldn’t withstand legal challenge. Hundreds of residents opposing that application had to hire an attorney to appeal ZBA’s senseless decision. Now, private and town funds are being squandered on this court battle.
The recent recycling dump fire in Essex proved how dangerous the Clinton recycling dump would be. It took 300 firefighters from 15 departments and 50 pieces of firefighting equipment to put out the blaze. It burned for three days, sending smoke containing various chemicals throughout Essex. Why should Clinton residents be exposed to such risk? Our elected officials should protect us, not subject us to health hazards. Why would the ZBA, headed by Richards, grant a variance allowing this monstrosity of a dump?
Richards never disclosed he owns a large industrial parcel contiguous to the dump site.
Why did the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) deny the Founder’s Village application, supported by hundreds, to return industrial building limits to a reasonable 40,000 square feet? That was the maximum until it was expanded last year to accommodate the dump skating rink that received our $200,000 economic grant, but never materialized. It should be reverted back to 40,000 square feet.
Small floating zones are really illegal spot zoning and cannot be allowed. Greedy developers attempting to industrialize heavily residential Route 145 must be stopped.
We cannot allow politics to influence PZC decisions.
Vincent Cimino
Clinton