Valley Breeze

north smithfield blackstone woonsocket | valley breeze | JanUary 22-28, 2015 no. smithfield / woonsocket 3 By SANDY SEOANE valley breeze staff writer sandy@valleybreeze.com NORTH SMITHFIELD – Construction activity at Dowling Village is almost in compliance with permits relat- ed to storm water discharge, and in letter this week, the Department of Environmental Management told developer Brian Bucci that he must still address non-conformance with wetlands requirements. In response, the engineer for the project told The Breeze this week that his company has already been working on the issue, and expects all remain- ing compliance problems at the massive site to be addressed within the month. Further, he said that construction at the complex is nearly complete, and that the five remaining buildings could be erected in the next year "or so," depend- ing on market demand. "The fact is that we have addressed many of the items, and within another month we expect to have addressed everything else," said Len Bradley, vice president of DiPrete Engineering. "There's been no actual violations from the town or DEM. I think we've done a good job protect- ing the environment." The Jan. 15 communica- tion from state environmental regulators was a follow-up to a notice of non-conformance first delivered to the inves- tor at the large retail complex in September, which laid out around a dozen instances in which activity at the develop- ment did not conform with the permit issued in 2008. Since that time, Bradley said, the firm has been working to address the issues, which he character- ized as relatively minor. Construction at the Eddie Dowling Highway development has been ongoing since the project received final approval in 2009, and the 137-acre area owned by Bucci now features businesses including Aldi, Lowes Home Improvement, Aspen Dental, PetSmart, Firestone, Walmart, Taco Bell, Denny's and CVS. Openings on the horizon are expected to include a department store and a gym, along with two restaurants; Buffalo Wild Wings and Texas Roadhouse. "At this time, with one minor exception noted herein, your project now appears to be in compliance with the general permit for storm water dis- charge associated with con- struction activity," the new communication from DEM states. "You remain, however, in non-conformance with the wetlands permit." Caroly Shumway, president of Valley Alliance for Smart Growth, said she believes the recent letter confirms concerns her organization has raised over the past several years. VASG was formed a decade ago in opposition to the project and Shuwmay, a scientist by trade, worked with DEM to develop standards for the area, considered environmentally sensitive because of its proxim- ity to both Booth Pond and the town's water supply. Over the past few years, VASG has filed multiple complaints over the project with DEM and has brought concerns to town offi- cials. "Dowling Village is in noncompliance due to water quality impacts according to DEM," said Shumway. "Much of these problems could have been eliminated if the town had acted the first time we raised concerns. Perhaps now the town and developer will act to protect our water bodies." Bradley points out that the latest communication is more about technicalities than active problems. "A lot of what DEM asked us to do is almost more about how we present our report," Bradley said. "With the water quality there's just a lot of data to compile and go through." The letter states that while Bucci has addressed several issues with drainage facilities, DEM still needs a full report on how the problem was cor- rected, detailing the steps that were taken to accomplish the task, and an estimate of how much time was required. The original permit for the project also required that Bucci employ an environmental consultant who would submit monthly reports regarding compliance with the permit. "While these consultants have now been identified, and DiPrete indicated in its response of Oct. 17, 2014 that it would provide the required reports going forward, to date we have not received any writ- ten reports," the letter explains. The letter also documented issues with monitoring reports from 2009 stating that samples "were on analyzed with the correct methods for fecal colo- form" and "incorrect detection limits were reported for dis- solved copper, zinc, lead and cadmium." DEM did raise concern about "changes with the reported parameters for phosphorus – which spiked in 2012 – and chlorophyll-a – which has been rising when annual seasons are compared to each other." DEM: Dowling Village near compliance on stormwater, addressing wetlands WOONSOCKET – Community Care Alliance is offering free income tax preparation for families with incomes less than $53,000 through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance pro- gram. All the tax preparers are certified by the IRS, and E-filing is done for fast returns. Appointments are available at Community Care Alliance, 800 Clinton St., on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-4.30 p.m.; Tuesdays, 4-6:30 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m.- noon; and Saturdays, 9 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. Call 401-766-0900 to sched- ule an appointment. WOONSOCKET – The 3rd annual Hearts with Hope Battle of the Classes will be held Saturday, Jan. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Woonsocket High School gym, 777 Cass Ave. WHS alumni will partici- pate in tug-of-war, volleyball, relay race, sports skills com- petition, and more. The event will also feature a scavenger hunt, trivia and raffles. The cost to participate is $10 per person. Spectators to the event pay a $5 admis- sion. All proceeds go toward Hearts With Hope, an orga- nization helping Woonsocket High School alumni who have been diagnosed with a serious medical condition or suffered a catastrophic life event and have demonstrated a need for financial assis- tance. For more information, search Hearts With Hope Inc. on Facebook or visit www. MyWoonsocket.com . WOONSOCKET – YWCA Rhode Island is partnering with Rhode Island Black Storytellers to host a family storytelling concert as a part of Funda Fest 17. The event will take place today, Thursday, Jan. 22, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the YWCA Rhode Island, 514 Blackstone St. The event is free and open to the public. For more information or to RSVP, call 401-769-7450. NORTH SMITHFIELD – The North Smithfield Public Library will present Storybook Yoga on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 11 a.m. The program is open to ages 3-9 and will be held on the fourth Saturday of each month. Presented by Debbie Quinn, a Color Me Yoga instructor, the monthly program will teach hand-eye coordination, stress relief and literacy through yoga poses related to a weekly storybook read aloud. Registration is requested but drop-ins are welcome. Call 401-767-2780. YWCA hosts Funda Fest 17 tonight Community Care Alliance offers free tax preparation Battle of the Classes will benefit Hearts with Hope iN BriEf NORTH SMITHFIELD – Chief Steven E. Reynolds and the men and women of the North Smithfield Police Department invite family members and residents to attend the annual police awards ceremony on Friday, Jan. 30, at 6:30 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the North Smithfield Middle School cafeteria. More than 20 officers will be receiving recognition in a variety of areas. Keynote speaker will be the Honorable Peter F. Killmartin, attorney general for the state of Rhode Island. For more information, contact Darleen Bourgette at 401-762-1212, ext. 200. Storybook Yoga at the library Attorney General to headline annual police awards iN BriEf see DOWLiNG, Page 8 Anthony Taraborelli, LICSW , CDP 1 Social Street, W oonsocket, RI 02895 401-829-8838 Depressed? Anxious? Stressed? Children often have symptoms of Depression & Anxiety such as poor concentration, low self esteem, low energy & frequent sadness. Anxiety • Depression • Substance Abuse Counseling Children • Adults • Couples • Families Now Accepting New Patients

• Cover