Elected Officials Do Not Have a Choice

Property development does not occur overnight.

Elected officials know this, right?

Three years ago, New England Development president Stephen Karp spoke to the Boston Globe about his vision for building a hotel on the Newburyport waterfront, and he kept to that vision two weeks ago when speaking to local Chamber members.

Now I read in the Boston Globe today that businessman William Thibeault, owner of an Everett transfer station and manager of a Newburyport landfill, both of which cause dozens of residents to suffer from noxious odors emanating from both sites, wants to build a hotel or a biotechnology center on his Everett property. (Thanks to Tom Salemi for the tip.)

The catch is the property development cannot occur until the state Department of Environmental Protection signs a deal with Thibeault to cap the Crow Lane landfill before the end of the year. Newburyport must sign its own agreement with Thibeault in advance of the state deal to go forward. The state is not leaking details of their deal, so Newburyport must put faith in the DEP that an increase of construction and demolition debris into Crow Lane that will undoubtedly cause more headaches and nose bleeds (pun not intended) is not for naught.

Last week, the Newburyport City Council heard testimony from dozens of residents abutting or residing near the landfill who complained of bloody noses, blurry vision, and headaches due to hydrogen sulfide leaked into the air from gypsum dust that is part of the c&d debris.

Everett residents who live near the Wood Waste transfer facility also experience such odors. Everett residents have their own community forum here about Thibeault, Crow Lane, the DEP, and related players. Another Everett blog on the issues is here.

A Newburyport Daily News story from yesterday indicates that city officials are in a quandary about whether to sign the deal to prevent potential lawsuits or not sign it and take the side of complaining residents.

Should an elected official bow into potential litigation or follow the wishes of a constituent? Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Of course, this entire argument assumes that Thibeault’s proposed hotel receives its own permitting approvals…which won’t be known for several years. So, why the rush?

Karp’s not rushing to build a hotel. Why hasten things for Thibeault?

Am I the only one who feels this way?

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