Residents raise environmental concerns regarding Sherbrooke Village development

Residents of Old Westport Road raised environmental concerns regarding a proposed housing development at 498 Old Westport Road and potential hazardous materials on the property.

Named Sherbrooke Village, the proposed development would feature four apartment buildings, each with 39 units, for a total of 156 units. Thirty-nine units would be designated affordable housing, and there is also a proposal for a clubhouse.

Jim Costa, who has lived on Old Westport Road for 35 years, pointed out several areas of concern on the nearly 90-acre property.

According to Costa, a previous owner of the property purchased woodchips for an apparent landscaping business but instead mixed into the woodchips sewage sludge that is now covered in vegetation.

Costa said that a portion of the property had also been mined and excavated out up to the property lines, which Costa said would prevent the possibility to construct sidewalks.

“I hope they have sidewalks to access this place, but it’s going to have to be a boardwalk because the soil is gone,” he said.

There is also concrete on the property, which Costa said should be tested for asbestos.

On Thursday, Sept. 25, the Zoning Board of Appeals also received a letter from Director of Public Health Chris Michaud that shared some of the concerns posed by Costa.

Klara Barlow has lived near the property for over 70 years and during this time has seen trucks be buried on the property, as well as cars, beer cans and cement.

“I’ve watched them use this property for a dump,” she said.

She said that there are areas of the property that she doesn’t consider healthy, "especially for young children” and said she “cannot fathom why anyone would want to build houses [here] and have young children living in them.”

According to Attorney Tanya Trevisan who represents developer Sherbrooke Farms LLC, as far as the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is aware, there isn’t any known hazardous waste on the property.

Trevisan took note of a former diesel tank that contaminated soil and said that it will be dug up and disposed of.

Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Michael Medeiros said during a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 25 that environmental concerns will eventually be addressed through an environmental assessment and input from an environmental engineer.