Leader Herald Staff
The Planning Board showed a great deal of spine and resistance to a proposal to turn a piece of single family housing into a 12 unit apartment house at the corner of Abbott Avenue and Elm Street Monday night at city hall.
The crowd wishing to be heard had grown so large and boisterous the meeting was moved from the Keverian Room into the city council chamber where the matter was heard.
What ensued was a spectacle considering the lawyer for the developer is a great friend of the mayor’s and his chief fundraiser.
The mayor lives on Abbott Avenue.
He did not attend the meeting.
In another odd turn of events, the disgraced former councilor Anthony DiPierro appeared to oppose the project.
‘What was he doing there,” said Councilor Mike Marchese.
The Abbott Avenue/Elm Street development proposal was tabled following a number of emotional speeches given by a variety of area residents and Abbott Avenue residents.
Also tabled was a development project scheduled for 657 Broadway.
Two members of the zoning board said they made some mistakes allowing big buildings on Broadway.
They said they didn’t agree with the development planned for 657 Broadway.
They were also opposed to the Elm Street project. Councilors Marchese, Stephanie Smith and Darren Costa attended the meeting.
All were said to be opposed to the Elm Street project.
The next meeting of the Planning Board is scheduled for December 5.
Both items will again be on the agenda.