Pawtucket City Leaders, Residents, and Pawtucket Asphalt Announce that Plans for the Proposed Asphalt Plant will be Pulled
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PAWTUCKET ??? The Grebien Administration along with City Councilors Meghan Kallman, Timothy Rudd, and Jeff Joaquin of Pawtucket Asphalt and 560 Mineral Spring Avenue announce that, through an open and collaborative dialogue, Pawtucket Asphalt has agreed to abandon plans for an asphalt manufacturing plant on the boarder of the Woodlawn and Fairlawn Neighborhoods.
Collaboratively working with the residents especially Patricia St. Germain, President of the Fairlawn Against Crime Team (FACT), Councilor’s Sandra Cano and Albert Vitali, State Representatives Carlos Tobon and Jean Phillipe Barros, Senators Elizabeth Crawley and Donna Nesslebush we were able to accomplish this outcome.
The group also thanked the Pawtucket Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals for their professionalism throughout the process. Both entities had tabled action on the application, upon recommendation of the City???s Planning Department, so the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) could first review the proposal, which included land in a designated floodplain and wetland.
???After discussions with a number of community members and leaders, I realized that it was in everyone???s best interest to move in a different direction,??? said Joaquin. ???I hadn???t before fully thought of all of the points that they raised, since there had been similar operations in the area in the past. After hearing their concerns, I want to do what we all think is right. I love Pawtucket and my company is vested in the community, including recently with the 21 Heroes monument. We want to be good neighbors, just like everyone else.???
?????I???m thankful to the residents, the business, the property owners, the Councilors, the Representatives, and the Senators for everyone???s work on this,??? said Mayor Grebien. ???Together, we???ve reached a resolution that will keep the Fairlawn and Woodlawn neighborhoods free of this use. I heard from a number of neighbors on this issue and their input and cooperation was extremely valuable. This was a great example of people coming together and working with an area business to make sure that a positive resolution was reached.???