The town of Bridgewater has granted a development agreement to a local cohousing community, but not everyone is happy.
During a public hearing last week on the proposed development in Bridgewater, a few Pearl Street residents spoke out to address concerns they had with the development agreement put forward by Treehouse Village Ecohousing to town council.
Resident Andrew Collicutt said according to the agreement, the development would only be accessible from the aging, narrow Pearl Street, which he fears will create unbearable construction traffic, road blocks and unnecessary noise over the next few years in the area.
“Four years, we know a lot of this is going to be done before the four years,” he said, “But it doesn’t matter if you said four years or three years, its cruel if you have to live through it daily.”
Collicutt and other residents, all of whom signed a petition asking council to refuse the development agreement in its current state, said an old access road running into the property from St. Phillips Street would work better for both TVE and those on Pearl Street, as there is more space to turn onto the two lane road.
Despite the issue surrounding the entrance to the land, Collicutt said most residents on Pearl are actually for the project, but asked council to deny the agreement until the St. Phillips entrance is included in it.
“We actually believe in what they are going to do, and we think its going to be a perfect use for this property,” he said.
Two other residents spoke at the meeting and highlighted a number of issues including the potential for damage to the already decayed, half paved road and the presence of numerous pot holes.
After the meeting was closed, Bridgewater mayor David Mitchell stressed council was only voting on the development of the project, not the construction logistics of it.
Council approved the agreement after closing out the public hearing, However Mitchell assured residents the concerns they raised were not going unheard.
“But what’s been highlighted are some real issues on Pearl Street,” said Mitchell.
“I’ll just speak personally, I don’t like that half of it is dirt. I like that we live in a town where all of the roads are paved. So regardless of the project, I think Pearl street needs a little TLC.”
Mitchell said come budget time, council will revisit the issues brought up on Pearl Street.
