GLOCESTER – Facing regular complaints from local neighbors of odors, gas, dust and noise from Colucci Organization’s Putnam Pike property, members of the Town Council opted this month not to create a new license that would allow the business to crush stone.
Owner Jim Colucci said his business had been crushing stone there a few times per year for awhile, but had only recently sought to legalize the operations. Earth processing is not permitted on the property by ordinance, but Colucci hoped councilors would change the law to allow the activity on certain properties with a special use permit.
“There is no law on the books that allows rock crushing,” explained Town Solicitor David Igliozzi at the council meeting on Thursday, Jan. 15.
If approved, a new ordinance would have allowed earth crushing operations on properties of at least 8 acres zoned B-2 with a license renewed annually. Igliozzi noted that if the change was passed, other property owners could apply for a permit, and the council would need to establish specific limits on noise and other elements, as well as a means to enforce it.
“Those are just issues you need to think about,” the solicitor said. “You can’t expect police to be out there with a noise monitor every day.”
“Authorizing a business such as that wouldn’t necessarily generate the revenue you need to hire someone in town,” said Councilor Jonathan Burlingame. “That’s a lot of impact for our capacity. I am concerned that we have no way to monitor it.”
Colucci Organization offers site excavation and home construction, including large-scale projects, such as Diamond Head Estates in neighboring North Scituate, and began operations sometime around 1990. The business moved to Glocester around five years ago, occupying a property on Route 44, and began crushing stone as an occasional and secondary operation, according to the owner.
Colucci questioned how his business was different from other industrial operations nearby.
“How do you differentiate between the noise coming from us or them?” he asked.
Worthy responded that he’s received several videos document the nuisance from operations on Colucci’s property at 640 Putnam Pike, and board members noted that the activities on neighboring properties are permitted.
“The ongoing complaints we get is sound and dust. Those are the complaints that we’ve gotten a lot,” said Town Council President William Worthy last week. “We have to give our constituents some kind of answer when those problems arise.”
For his part, Colucci said if the request was not granted, he would move the business elsewhere.
“We’re just trying to run a business here,” he said. “If you guys don’t allow us to do it than we’ll go somewhere else. I don’t think we’re bothering anyone back there You guys need all the revenue you can get, so passing it up isn’t very smart.”
Resident Janice Lowell spoke against the idea of changing town ordinance so a single business could profit.
“I don’t think there is any tax benefit to the town,” Lowell said. “I’m here tonight to ask that you do not make this change. We live here for the peaceful, rural community.”
The Planning Board had also previously weighed in on the potential earth processing ordinance, and gave a negative recommendation. As drafted, it would have applied to properties at least 300 feet from a residential area, and nine parcels would have qualified, incluing one owned by the Glocester Land Trust.
Councilor Stepahnie Calise said she did not like that such an ordinance would also apply to other properties in town.
“I hate to say it, but I think we kind of have to deny this,” Calise said. “I hate not be not business friendly.”
When councilors unanimously denied the change, Colucci reacted with anger.
“You guys got no balls,” he said several times, throwing a straw toward councilors as he exited.
Colucci was a punk growing up. I can see that hasn’t changed.