More than 100 residents packed the Mason Elementary School meeting room Wednesday night to weigh in on a proposed gravel pit at 1524 Brookline Road, voicing concerns about traffic, noise and environmental impacts.
The 67-acre property — largely wooded and undeveloped aside from a single-family home — is the site of a proposal by Onyx Corporation and 1524 Brookline Road, LLC. The hearing marked the second review by the Mason Planning Board, and the first time the public was invited to comment.
Representing the applicant, engineer Jeffrey Brem of Meisner Brem Corp. said the company is considering scaling back its plan in response to feedback. The original proposal outlined eight phases of excavation over eight to 15 years. Brem said Onyx is now willing to eliminate three phases, reducing the timeline to approximately five to eight years, with the option to return later with a new proposal for the remaining land.
Truck traffic remains a central concern. The plan estimates between zero and 50 truck trips per day, averaging about 20, using a route through Brookline. Brem said the company is willing to conduct a traffic study examining road conditions, bridge capacity and overall traffic impacts.
The applicant also proposed reducing hours of operation. Initially planned for Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with up to 12 Sundays per year, Onyx now says it would eliminate Sunday operations and shorten weekday and Saturday hours.
Residents express concerns
Residents from Mason and neighboring towns, including Greenville, Brookline, and Townsend, Mass., expressed strong opposition.
Abutter Dean Chrystal said he fears the impact to his day-to day life. “I’m not against progress, but I am afraid of what a seven-day-a-week operation will do to my quality of life,” Chrystal said. “I don’t want to be there for 20 years, listening to at least 20 trucks a day.”
Chrystal said if the project were approved, he asked for a requirement of some kind of buffer.
Sarah Harkonen, an alternate on the Planning Board who recused because she is an abutter to the project, spoke as a member of the audience, saying she had concerns about traffic, predicting it would be a “nightmare,” and the plans for lighting, which call for lights to be shut off by 9 p.m. Harkonen asked that they be shut off earlier, particularly in the winter.
Emilie Phillips spoke about her concerns for wildlife, particularly amphibian habitats, and trucks clogging traffic on one of the town’s most-used roads. She said that being a “town where you can go for a country drive” was one of the draws for Mason.
Liz Fletcher, speaking on behalf of the Mason Conservation Commission, spoke about air quality issues, asking if there would be air monitors at the property lines, and asking for stricter standards on air particulates than would be required by the state.
Several people brought up the condition of the road and whether it would support that amount of truck traffic. Road Agent Dave Morrison said the town is currently under a six-ton weight limit, as it typically is during the spring thaw, and that Onyx would have to abide by that limit during mud season if the application were approved.
Other towns weigh in
During the initial hearing on the proposed pit, the Planning Board determined the project had regional impact for surrounding communities, including Townsend, Brookline and Greenville. This decision designates the towns as abutters.
Veronica Kell, select board vice-chair in Townsend, spoke of the concerns townspeople have with the traffic and public safety impact of trucks traveling through on routes 119 and 13.
“We request an alternate route be found,” Kell said, suggesting that turn points around the town center would be very tight for a truck. She suggested alternate routes on Route 101A and 31. She said there were also concerns about traffic during school hours, pollution and noise.
Alan Rosenberg, co-chair of the Brookline Planning Board, also raised multiple concerns.
Rosenberg said the route along Brookline Road and Mason Road is a narrow road in a residential area, with no sidewalks and little shoulder. He said that a particular point of concern was around Lake Potanipo, with narrow bridges, summer visitors accessing the beach and the boat launch.
Rosenberg acknowledged the removal of Sunday hours and said he would request that hours of operation also eliminate Saturdays.
Scott Tenney, the co-chair of the Greenville Planning Board, requested that Greenville be included in any traffic study conversations, but said he would forgo further comments on the merits of the plan until the plans had been fully updated.
The Planning Board continued the hearing to April 29 at 7 p.m. at Mason Elementary School, with a site walk scheduled for May 2.