Bay Ridge neighbors complain about dirt, truck traffic
By Matt Sheley
Daily News staff
The flow of trucks at the Bay Ridge construction site on Forest Avenue in Middletown has some neighbors angry about the disturbance and amount of dust the trucks leave in their wake. (David Hansen/Daily News staff)
Bruce A. Ryerson said he understands the Bay Ridge development in Middletown is moving forward.
In fact, the Forest Avenue resident said, he wishes all 60 units in the gated condominium complex would be sold and the project completed as soon as possible, so the work doesn’t drag on and further impact the surrounding neighborhood.
Those impacts most recently have included a large number of trucks streaming in to the construction site with uncovered loads of fill from the former Starlight Drive-In property and a large amount of dust, Ryerson and other neighbors said.
On Tuesday, Ryerson said he notified the town about his concerns. Building Official Jack Kane said the situation was under review, but no violations were found when he visited the property Tuesday for an inspection.
“Overall, they’ve been really good to work with, very responsive to our concerns,” Ryerson said of the contractors. “This just seemed too much. In the past couple days, I’ve counted more than 150 trucks coming in and out of there and there’s dust everywhere. It’s better today than yesterday, but that’s only because I went over and said something earlier.”
A representative for East Coast Construction, the Portsmouth firm trucking the material to the site, said it always tries to be conscious of the concerns in neighborhoods where they are working.
The company has been putting down a calcium chloride compound that controls dust and erosion-control measures also have been implemented in keeping with town standards, said Bill Reed, East Coast Construction’s secretary/treasurer. Reed also said all the truckloads were covered, a step drivers are supposed to take after picking up a load of fill.
“At times, every project has a little more trucking than others,” Reed said. “We try to keep the dust to a minimum and everything in compliance with town standards. If you were out there Monday — which was a holiday for most people — and Tuesday, there were more trucks than usual. There’s essentially nothing going on out there today (Wednesday).”
Getting under way
Groundbreaking on the complex geared toward residents 55 years and older took place over the summer, when a 27-acre lot behind the Forest Avenue School was cleared to make way for the development. The asking price for units has been advertised in the low $400,000s and up.
From the first day of construction, Ryerson has been keeping tabs on the project through his blog, “
Bay Ridge At Forest Avenue 02842,” where he and other neighbors have posted pictures and comments about how it is progressing.
While admitting it’s tough to see the neighborhood change — especially for a family like his, which has owned property there since 1928 — Ryerson said Bay Ridge has answered most of his questions and calls.
In response to Ryerson’s inquiry about the contents of the soil being trucked in, interim Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown said this week the material — mostly left over from a project on Turner Road — was tested and found to be clean fill.
That analysis took place, Brown said, after school officials asked what was being stored on the Aquidneck Avenue site, which has been discussed as a possible location of a new high school.
Earlier in the month, the Town Council awarded a $34,500 contract to East Coast Construction to clean up the area where the public works department had been storing materials left over from various projects.
As part of the town’s contract with East Coast Construction, Brown said if the Portsmouth firm comes across any “dirty” soil, that material would be disposed of in a different manner as part of a renegotiated agreement.
“I appreciate what the town says, it does make me feel better,” Ryerson said. But, he added, “That doesn’t help my sore throat, doesn’t clean my car or clean up my fence.”
Site work
Around midday Tuesday under a light rain, East Coast Construction trucks drove in and out of the property, using the southern entrance on Forest Avenue. Ryerson said he noticed several trucks passing by didn’t appear to be covered.
The driveway is where an emergency road is planned to link Forest Avenue and the Buck Road neighborhood for police and fire use — and possibly a public street, a proposal that is the subject of an in-depth study expected to be presented to the Town Council for review in coming weeks.
“At the very least, it’s going to be available for emergency vehicles,” Town Planner Ronald M. Wolanski said. “As part of the Zoning Board of Review’s decision, on the advice of the Planning Board, the town has the option to purchase the land containing the roadway and open it up as a full-access roadway.”
Over the weekend, when the weather conditions were much drier, Ryerson said the situation was more difficult to deal with — especially a cloud of tan-colored dust that lingered over a section of Forest Avenue.
Kane said based on what he saw Tuesday, the contractor was doing its best to contain dust and dirt from the project, including using the calcium chloride mix to contain materials on the roadway.
(This was after many calls I made Monday)“We are looking into the matter,” Kane said. “When I was there (Tuesday), I didn’t see any violations, but it’s fair to say we’re going to be monitoring the situation.”
Others in the neighborhood said more should be done.
“We have become the new town dump site,” Forest Avenue resident Audrey Littlefield said. “The billows of dust (Monday) were overwhelming. I was not able to see the house across the street and I wonder about health issues … and I just keep questioning about how many loads of earth do they need to haul in there?”
"I do have concerns about the situation,” said fellow Forest Avenue resident Gail Greenwood. “(The town has) to pay around $40,000 or so to get the drive-in cleaned back up and now it’s getting trucked back to my neighborhood. That’s great.”
But Forest Avenue School Principal Stephen C. Ponte said he’s found the contractors easy to deal with.
“They put a fence up to keep the two properties separate and the kids safe,” he said. “A couple times, the fence has come down after school and they’re right out to take care of it.
“They’ve also come over and cleaned our windows,” he said. “Pretty much whenever there’s something that’s come up, they’re here to take care of it.”
Send reporter Matt Sheley e-mail at Sheley@NewportRI.com.
Link to article
Why haven't they offered to wash the windows and cars of everybody else in the neighborhood?
All in all a pretty good article by Matt expressing our concerns and regrets. I've posted pictures of the incoming uncovered trucks and would just like to see the contractors involved to be more responsible and considerate before we have to start making phone calls instead of after the fact.
and an email I received this morning -
Hi Bruce,
I talked to one of the real estate agents at Bay Ridge last weekend and she said that they have sold two units and two more under contract..only 56 more to go! Why are we paying to have fill moved that they obviously need at the site?..maybe it should be the other way around..they pay the town for the fill. Glad to see someone addressed the sink hole in the road but the sidewalk is unpassable and a saftey hazard..now it isn't safe to walk on the sidewalk or the road in that area! Thanks for staying on top of things.
and the second article concerning Bay Ridge in today's paper -
Bay Ridge developers hope to buck market trend
By Matt Sheley
Daily News staff
Despite a less-than-stellar housing market, Bay Ridge condominiums are selling, spokesman Paul Fleming said.
Contracts are in place for two units in the private gated complex on Forest Avenue for residents 55 years and older, two more are expected soon and there has been serious interest from nearly 300 different people, Fleming said.
“We’re pleased to see there’s such interest in Bay Ridge, especially in a relatively soft real estate market,” he said.
Late last week, Bay Ridge Development Corp. announced it had lined up construction and development financing for the project from Brookline Bank of Brookline, Mass., and BankNewport of Newport. Bay Ridge is a joint venture between The Simon Companies of Braintree, Mass., and Oldport Homes of Portsmouth, which is building the 60 units on the property next to Forest Avenue School.
When the project broke ground in July, there was some speculation that it might encounter difficulties similar to nearby developments, including Freedom Bay in Portsmouth or The Villages on Mount Hope Bay in Tiverton, neither of which have met sales expectations.
But Bay Ridge representatives pointed to the Ferry Landing project in Portsmouth, also built by Oldport Homes, and financial support as evidence of a proven track record.
“This financing package guarantees the availability of long-term construction financing for the present and future development of Bay Ridge,” said John Snyder, senior vice president of The Simon Companies and a Bay Ridge project principal. “Our residents can rest assure that Bay Ridge is strong and well financed.”
Condos at Bay Ridge are being marketed in the low $400,000 range and include access to a clubhouse, exercise room, bocce and tennis courts, pool and other amenities.
Model homes and the clubhouse are being built on the 27-acre site and will be available in the spring for tours by potential buyers, Fleming said.
“It’s a great project and we’re looking to making it a reality,” Fleming said.
Send reporter Matt Sheley e-mail at Sheley@NewportRI.com.
Link to article
OK, so finish it up neatly and quietly and Go Away already!#$?!#$$ 
