TIVERTON -- Lepes Road residents were freed from the town's moratorium on excavation in North Tiverton last night, after the Town Council cited soil tests from late last year that showed there was no contamination under the road.
The boundaries for the moratorium had stretched from State Avenue to Lepes Road and from Church Street to the Sakonnet River. It covers about 151 properties.
The southern border for the moratorium is now changed from Lepes Road to a stone wall on the Simpson property, which is between Judson and Lepes Roads.
"The testing was clean," said Joe Gaspar, who has repeatedly said in past meetings that he and other Lepes Road residents are being "held hostage from using their properties" without proof. "You now have the chance to make it right. Nothing's been found."
His son, Joe Gaspar Jr., added: "I played knee deep in that dirt for years, sometimes even waist deep. And I'm living, breathing proof that nothing's wrong. ... You're holding up people's lives."
Mark Bouchard, another Lepes Road resident, said he has had to pay thousands of dollars more for a construction project on his home after it was delayed because of the moratorium, which was first enacted last August.
"I'm very sure there's no contamination on my property," Bouchard said. "I feel bad for those who do have contamination, but I'd like to continue building."
There were, however, some objections, including one from a Lepes Road resident.
"I'm very concerned about my health and my family," said Pat Whittier, of 104 Lepes Rd.
She also said she didn't want the burden of proving whether her property was contaminated to be an out-of-pocket expense, she wanted the owners of the former Fall River Gas Co. to pay for the testing. The gas company is suspected of dumping coal gasification waste in the neighborhood in the 1940s and 1950s.
Gail Corvello, president of the neighborhood group ENACT, said she has residents who have lived in the area for many years say they recall the gas company dumping waste throughout Tiverton, including on Lepes Road.
She said that is reason enough for the town to "have a cautious frame of mind."
Bay Street resident Frank Correia said: "Properties on Lepes Road have not been tested. Leave the boundary where it is today. Why move it if we don't know?"
The council voted 6-to-1 to move the southern border. Councilwoman Lori Doyle objected, stating the town doesn't know whether the properties are contaminated.
"As more evidence comes to the council, that boundary can be moved [again]," councilwoman Louise Durfee said. "This is the evidence we have now."
In other business, the council:
^ Agreed to a zoning change which is intended to deter the spread of "big box" businesses in Tiverton. The change affects where off-street parking should be placed as well as providing vegetative buffer, additional screening and landscaping. Last month, the council approved changes to the review of developmental plans for a business. The plans must be reviewed by the Planning Board to ensure the architectural design and building location conform to town expectations.
^ Approved tax relief for seniors ages 65 and older who are homeowners with an annual income of $22,000 or less. It gives additional exemptions to what is already in place for seniors within this age and income bracket.
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