Rindge Stone and Gravel is extending its hours, but not as much as it originally hoped, after reaching a compromise with the town and neighbors concerned about vehicle traffic.
Representatives of the Old New Ipswich Road gravel pit appeared before the Rindge Select Board Wednesday during a public hearing to ask to extend both morning and evening hours year-round, and afternoon hours on Saturday.
Currently, the gravel pit is authorized to operate from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday from Sept. 1 to June 20, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays the rest of the year and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Eli Leino, an attorney representing the business, requested the board consider longer operating hours, allowing 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week year-round and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, to better compete with other area gravel pits, which typically start the day earlier.
Multiple residents from the surrounding streets were present at the hearing, and several raised issues that included through trucking on Cutter Hill and Old New Ipswich Road, which is not allowed; speeding; the impact to the roads; and noise from compression brakes. Members of the public acknowledged these issues are not always caused by trucks coming from the gravel pit, but said they remained an issue.
“When I bought my house 54 years ago, it was for the peace and quiet,” said Old New Ipswich Road resident Al Boudreau. “Some days, these monster trucks are going by every 15 minutes.”
David Drouin of Cutter Hill Road said the operating hours are less of an issue than the traffic and speed of the trucks already using the roads.
The argument most-convincing to the Select Board, however, was the safety concerns of allowing trucking traffic during early morning hours, when the school bus is making its runs and children are likely to be waiting at bus stops.
“Morning is the time kids are down there waiting at the bus stops,” Selectwoman Marybeth Quill said. “My concern is definitely the morning.”
Leino said the company was willing to compromise on the winter hours, if some accommodations could be made for the summers and weekends.
“Public safety is our key goal here,” Leino said. “It all has to be weighed against public safety.”
Board members decided to allow the requested 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekly schedule during the summer months, from June 20 through Sept. 1. During the school year, the board agreed to extend the morning hours by 30 minutes and allow operations to start at 8:30 a.m., after the start of school, but kept the pit’s closing time at 4:30 p.m., to ensure there wasn’t truck traffic after the early winter sunsets.
The board also agreed to allow extended hours on Saturdays, when school traffic isn’t a concern.
In response to some of the other concerns raised by neighbors, Rindge Stone and Gravel owner Jay Pittorino offered to pay for a sign package to post Cutter Hill Road and Old New Ipswich Road against through trucking and the use of compression brake systems. The Highway Department would order and erect the signs, but Rindge Stone and Gravel would donate the funds. Pittorino also said any independent contractors found illegally using the surrounding roads would not be invited to continue to do business with him.
The Select Board agreed to Pittorino’s offer and instructed Department of Public Works Director Michael Cloutier to work with Pittorino on a sign package.
Select Board Chair Karl Pruter questioned if the town needed to create an ordinance to prevent the use of compression brakes on certain roads to allow the police department to enforce the issue. After speaking with Police Chief Rachel Malynowski Thursday, Pruter had confirmed the department would have the ability to issue violations and fines based on disobeying publicly posted signs.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.