CONTROVERSY IN BRAINTREE Commuter lot, excavation rile residents</ti= tle> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"address"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"Street"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"State"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vlink=3Dpurple style=3D'tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=3DSection1> CONTROVERSY IN BRAINTREE Commuter = lot, excavation rile residents<o:p><= /o:p> <sp= an style=3D'font-size:10.0pt'>:[All Edition] Roberta Holland BYLM:HOLLAR, 07/29,15:46. T= he Patriot Ledger. <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:st=3D"on">Q= uincy</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st=3D"on">Mass.</st1:State></st1:p= lace>:Aug 5, 1998. p. 01 Abstract (Summary) <st1:City w:st=3D"on">BRAINTREE</st1:City> -- Neighbors in <st1:PlaceName w= :st=3D"on">Granite</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Park</st1:PlaceType> say a nearby businessman is thumbing his nose at town bylaws by operating a commuter parking lot at his athletic clu= b and a quarry at <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Blue</st1= :PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Hill</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on"= >Cemetery</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. After looking into the matter, Building Inspector Robert Galewski told [Gerald] Ridge he needed a permit to run a commuter lot and issued a cease and desis= t order. Ridge appealed Galewski's ruling to the = zoning board of appeals. In November, the zoning board upheld Galewski's de= cision and told Ridge he needed to get a special permit from the planning board. But Ridge never sought a permit from the planning board. Instead, he notifi= ed town officials that Putnam had a corporate membership in the health club an= d employees could park there by virtue of its membership, town officials said= . Galewski then lifted the cease and desist order. Full Text (1752 words) Copyright Patriot Ledger Aug 5, 1998 BRAINTREE -- Neighbors in Granite Park say a nearby businessman is thumbing= his nose at town bylaws by operating a commuter parking lot at his athletic clu= b and a quarry at Blue Hill Cemetery. But <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Gerald</st1:PlaceName= > <st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Ridge</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, owner of the cemetery and t= he Ridge Athletic Club, says nothing improper is going on at his <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:= st=3D"on">two West Street</st1:address></st1:Street> businesses. Now the issues are in the hands of the town's attorney to decide who is rig= ht. Residents of this neighborhood in <st1:place w:st=3D"on">North Braintree</s= t1:place> began complaining to town officials nearly a year ago about a shuttle bus service running from the Ri= dge Athletic Club to Putnam Investments on <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">Willard Street</st1:address></st1:Street>. Employees of Putnam= occupy most of two buildings at the Braintree-Quincy boundary. The neighbors said the buses and cars were cutting through their neighborho= od to avoid the congested Five Corners intersection. After looking into the matter, Building Inspector Robert Galewski told Ridge he needed a permit to run a commuter lot and issued a cease and desist order. Ridge appealed Galewski's ruling to the zoning = board of appeals. In November, the zoning board upheld Galewski's decision and= told Ridge he needed to get a special permit from the planning board. But Ridge never sought a permit from the planning board. Instead, he notifi= ed town officials that Putnam had a corporate membership in the health club an= d employees could park there by virtue of its membership, town officials said= . Galewski then lifted the cease and desist order. "Somehow, some way, that was his avenue to get around (the bylaw),&quo= t; Galewski said. "I can't go up to people and say, `Are you a corporate member?' I can't police these things." 1 Residents question why Putnam employees use a separate, fenced off parking = lot instead of the one other health club members use. The Granite Park Civic Association has previously complained to selectmen, = and is scheduled to meet with the board again Monday. "I think he feels he can do whatever he wants -- and it looks like he = can right now," said Alan Flowers, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1980.= Flowers said if there is no action at the Aug. 10 selectmen's meeting, the<= br> Granite Park Civic Association will decide whether to take legal action aga= inst Ridge on its own. Flowers said a lawsuit would be difficult financially for= the largely working-class neighborhood. "When you're talking hundreds of cars in the morning, that's a lot of traffic for residents to absorb, especially if it's something town bylaws do not allow," resident John Hardiman said. Ridge said he discussed the corporate membership with Putnam after the zoni= ng board of appeals decision. He said the agreement started out for about 45 c= ars and now has grown to 146 cars. The reason Putnam workers use a separate lot= is because they have such a large number of members, Ridge said. "After the business with the town, the only way (Putnam) could possibly park here was to become members of the club," Ridge said. Putnam employees, who get a 25 percent discount through the corporate membership, have full rights to use the health club, Ridge said. As members= , Putman workers have a right to park in the lot for as long as they want, he= said. "People park here as they have a right to, and the shuttle picks them = up and drives them to Putnam," said Ridge, who doesn't believe cars are cutti= ng through the neighborhood. "It works out well for everybody." Ridge, a former <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:st=3D"on">Boston</st1:Ci= ty></st1:place> police officer, bought the 165-acre cemetery for $1 million in 1961. The athletic club initially was built as an ice rink in 19= 66. Ridge cited several other companies that have corporate memberships in his<= br> club, but said no other companies have used a shuttle bus. He said he has n= o way of knowing whether people parking in the lot actually use the club, onl= y whether they are members. Laura McNamara, a spokeswoman for Putnam Investments, said the shuttle serv= ice is provided by the landlord of Putnam's two office buildings on <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">Willard Street</st1:address></st1:Stre= et>. The company has a lease agreement with Ridge Athletic Club through the year= 2001, McNamara said. The company declined to reveal the cost of the lease<b= r> arrangement. "The corporate membership was extended (by the club) as part of the le= ase," McNamara said. Buses run every five minutes during the peak hours and every= 15 minutes in the middle of the day, McNamara said. In addition to the parking lot, residents also are taking aim at what they = say is a quarry in an undeveloped part of the <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:Place= Name w:st=3D"on">Blue</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Hill</st1:Plac= eType> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Cemetery</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, located across the street from the athletic club. The large pit, which some officials refer to as "<st1:City w:st=3D"on"= >Braintree</st1:City>'s <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Grand Canyon</st1:place>," includes machinery for breaking up and sorting rocks and a paved weigh stat= ion for trucks. A quarry is defined as the commercial activity for cutting or<b= r> blasting stone from the earth, including the cutting of sandstone for shipm= ent. Ridge originally got a permit for excavation work on the site in 1989, according to town records. There was no expiration date on the permit. Code= compliance officer Michael McGourty said the in= itial permit was granted under a section of town bylaws that allows removal of soils "which is incident= al to landscaping." But McGourty says the operat= ion is a quarry and sent Town Counsel Arthur Smith a package detailing the business June 12 and asked for a legal= opinion. The cemetery is on land zoned for open space and conservation and quarries = of any size are not allowed there, McGourty said. = Town bylaws allow quarries only on commercially zoned land with a special permit meeting a long list of environmental requirements, he said. In September 1990, then-Building Inspector James <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st= 1:City w:st=3D"on">Chandler</st1:City></st1:place> sent Ridge a letter saying the work "far exceeds" what was anticipated and told Ridge= he needed a permit from the zoning board of appeals. The work was intended to remove ro= ck from the land and then backfill it with soil so the cemetery could expand, = town records show. But one month later, after meeting with Ridge and an official from the Reyn= olds Brothers contracting company, <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:st=3D"on">= Chandler</st1:City></st1:place> changed his mind. He said in a letter to the company that breaking the stone up on site was in the best interests of= the town to minimize dust, noise and traffic. He also gave Ridge permission to<= br> continue the work. After getting complaints from residents, the planning board asked <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:st=3D"on">Chandler</st1:City></st1:place> to take enforcement action against Ridge in 1991. McGourt= y said town records indicate no enforcement action was ever taken. "It's wearing people's patience a little thin," Stephen Kennedy, president of the Granite Park Civic Association, said. "There's definitely a level = of frustration." Town officials have told Carole Lewis of <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:addre= ss w:st=3D"on">Eleanor Road</st1:address></st1:Street> that the cracks in her= addition are from the house settling. Lewis blames the blasting that goes o= n every few weeks at the quarry. "Pictures have fallen off the walls, little statues have broken," Lewis said. "It will scare you if you don't know it's c= oming. The whole house shakes." <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">Addison Road</st1:address>= </st1:Street> resident Robert T. Fogarty said he didn't notice the afternoon blasting until he retired two months ago. But he reached his limit two week= s ago when one of the blasts shattered the glass in an outer door of his home= . While Fogarty said Ridge sent workers to repair the damage, he believes a<b= r> commercial quarry should not be allowed. "They're running a commercial quarry in (an area) where the bylaws prohibit quarrying," Fogarty said. Residents renewed their complaints this year, and the planning board again<= br> asked for enforcement action. Attached to the planning board's letter was a= n invoice from a sand and gravel company called S.M. Lor= usso & Sons Inc., the business which now operates in the cemetery. The bill lists Blue Hill as an= address for the company. A matching phone number in the phone book lists th= e address as <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">700 West St.</s= t1:address></st1:Street>, which is <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Blue</st1:PlaceN= ame> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Hill</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Cemetery</st1:= PlaceType></st1:place>. Ridge defended the work, saying the excavation is needed to expand the cemetery. Ridge said the contractor, which has been Lo= russo since 1994, blasts the ledge on the site and removes it in order to expand the cemetery by abo= ut 30 acres. The work will prolong the time space is available in the cemetery= for about 50 years instead of the seven or eight years currently left, Ridge sa= id. "The only way we could expand <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:= st=3D"on">Blue</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Hill</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on"= >Cemetery</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> is by doing what we're doing," Ridge said. "It's a very simple situation here. We are developing the cemetery. Fundamentally, that's the reason this work is going on." Letting a company sell the material it removes is the only feasible way to = pay for the project, Ridge said. He estimated the cost without this type of an<= br> arrangement with a contractor would have been $3 million to $4 million. The= company will begin filling in a portion of the excavated land later this mo= nth, Ridge said. "There was no possible way we could afford to take down that hill there with all the ledge over there," Ridge said. &quo= t;In the long term, I think this will be a benefit for the people of the town of <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:= st=3D"on">Braintree</st1:City></st1:place>." Problems with residents are rare and the fire department monitors the blast= ing, Ridge said. A new drilling system was brought in after the problem at Fogar= ty's house, he said. Town Counsel Arthur Smith is looking into the situation of the parking lot = as well as the quarry issue. Smith said he will meet with the inspection department this week to discuss the cemetery work and hopes to give a legal= opinion by the end of the week. "The parking lot issue is somewhat more complicated," Smith said. "I know there is some kind of lease arrangement. (Ridge) certainly indicated that to me. = I'm not sure I need to know the monetary details, but I would like to see that<= br> lease. "The question is, are all these people who go there paying members of = the club," Smith said. "What adds to the complication is the arrangem= ent with the company that is basically shuttling them from there to work." -------- MAP: Bob Monahan/The Patriot Ledger Putnam Investments Site of excavation activity The Ridge Athletic Club - Site of Putnam Investments parking -------- [Illustration] Caption: Gary Higgins/The Patriot Ledger - A shuttle bus picks up a passeng= er at the Ridge Athletic Club parking lot in Braintree.; Neighbors say this wo= rk at <st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Blue</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"o= n">Hill</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Cemetery</st1:PlaceType> in <st1:place w:st=3D"o= n"><st1:City w:st=3D"on">Braintree</st1:City></st1:place> is actually a quarry. Cemetery officials say it is expansion work. Credit: The Patriot Ledger Indexing (document details) Author(s): Roberta Holland BYLM:HOLLAR, 07/29,15:46 Section: News Publication title: The Patriot Ledger. <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:s= t=3D"on">Quincy</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st=3D"on">Mass.</st1:State></st1:place>: Aug 5, 1998. p= g. 01 Source type: Newspaper ProQuest document 327= 73082 ID: Text Word Count 1752 Document URL: <a href=3D"http://proquest.umi.com/" target=3D"_blank" title=3D"http://proquest.umi.com/">http://proquest.umi.co= m/</a> pqdweb?did=3D32773082&Fmt=3D3&clientId=3D4257= 6&RQT=3D309&VName=3DPQD =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>

MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Location: file:///C:/D1343E54/CONTROVERSYINBRAINTREECommuterlot.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" CONTROVERSY IN BRAINTREE Commuter lot, excavation rile residents</ti= tle> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"address"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"Street"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"State"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vlink=3Dpurple style=3D'tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=3DSection1> CONTROVERSY IN BRAINTREE Commuter = lot, excavation rile residents<o:p><= /o:p> <sp= an style=3D'font-size:10.0pt'>:[All Edition] Roberta Holland BYLM:HOLLAR, 07/29,15:46. T= he Patriot Ledger. <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:st=3D"on">Q= uincy</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st=3D"on">Mass.</st1:State></st1:p= lace>:Aug 5, 1998. p. 01 Abstract (Summary) <st1:City w:st=3D"on">BRAINTREE</st1:City> -- Neighbors in <st1:PlaceName w= :st=3D"on">Granite</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Park</st1:PlaceType> say a nearby businessman is thumbing his nose at town bylaws by operating a commuter parking lot at his athletic clu= b and a quarry at <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Blue</st1= :PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Hill</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on"= >Cemetery</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. After looking into the matter, Building Inspector Robert Galewski told [Gerald] Ridge he needed a permit to run a commuter lot and issued a cease and desis= t order. Ridge appealed Galewski's ruling to the = zoning board of appeals. In November, the zoning board upheld Galewski's de= cision and told Ridge he needed to get a special permit from the planning board. But Ridge never sought a permit from the planning board. Instead, he notifi= ed town officials that Putnam had a corporate membership in the health club an= d employees could park there by virtue of its membership, town officials said= . Galewski then lifted the cease and desist order. Full Text (1752 words) Copyright Patriot Ledger Aug 5, 1998 BRAINTREE -- Neighbors in Granite Park say a nearby businessman is thumbing= his nose at town bylaws by operating a commuter parking lot at his athletic clu= b and a quarry at Blue Hill Cemetery. But <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Gerald</st1:PlaceName= > <st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Ridge</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, owner of the cemetery and t= he Ridge Athletic Club, says nothing improper is going on at his <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:= st=3D"on">two West Street</st1:address></st1:Street> businesses. Now the issues are in the hands of the town's attorney to decide who is rig= ht. Residents of this neighborhood in <st1:place w:st=3D"on">North Braintree</s= t1:place> began complaining to town officials nearly a year ago about a shuttle bus service running from the Ri= dge Athletic Club to Putnam Investments on <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">Willard Street</st1:address></st1:Street>. Employees of Putnam= occupy most of two buildings at the Braintree-Quincy boundary. The neighbors said the buses and cars were cutting through their neighborho= od to avoid the congested Five Corners intersection. After looking into the matter, Building Inspector Robert Galewski told Ridge he needed a permit to run a commuter lot and issued a cease and desist order. Ridge appealed Galewski's ruling to the zoning = board of appeals. In November, the zoning board upheld Galewski's decision and= told Ridge he needed to get a special permit from the planning board. But Ridge never sought a permit from the planning board. Instead, he notifi= ed town officials that Putnam had a corporate membership in the health club an= d employees could park there by virtue of its membership, town officials said= . Galewski then lifted the cease and desist order. "Somehow, some way, that was his avenue to get around (the bylaw),&quo= t; Galewski said. "I can't go up to people and say, `Are you a corporate member?' I can't police these things." 1 Residents question why Putnam employees use a separate, fenced off parking = lot instead of the one other health club members use. The Granite Park Civic Association has previously complained to selectmen, = and is scheduled to meet with the board again Monday. "I think he feels he can do whatever he wants -- and it looks like he = can right now," said Alan Flowers, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1980.= Flowers said if there is no action at the Aug. 10 selectmen's meeting, the<= br> Granite Park Civic Association will decide whether to take legal action aga= inst Ridge on its own. Flowers said a lawsuit would be difficult financially for= the largely working-class neighborhood. "When you're talking hundreds of cars in the morning, that's a lot of traffic for residents to absorb, especially if it's something town bylaws do not allow," resident John Hardiman said. Ridge said he discussed the corporate membership with Putnam after the zoni= ng board of appeals decision. He said the agreement started out for about 45 c= ars and now has grown to 146 cars. The reason Putnam workers use a separate lot= is because they have such a large number of members, Ridge said. "After the business with the town, the only way (Putnam) could possibly park here was to become members of the club," Ridge said. Putnam employees, who get a 25 percent discount through the corporate membership, have full rights to use the health club, Ridge said. As members= , Putman workers have a right to park in the lot for as long as they want, he= said. "People park here as they have a right to, and the shuttle picks them = up and drives them to Putnam," said Ridge, who doesn't believe cars are cutti= ng through the neighborhood. "It works out well for everybody." Ridge, a former <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:st=3D"on">Boston</st1:Ci= ty></st1:place> police officer, bought the 165-acre cemetery for $1 million in 1961. The athletic club initially was built as an ice rink in 19= 66. Ridge cited several other companies that have corporate memberships in his<= br> club, but said no other companies have used a shuttle bus. He said he has n= o way of knowing whether people parking in the lot actually use the club, onl= y whether they are members. Laura McNamara, a spokeswoman for Putnam Investments, said the shuttle serv= ice is provided by the landlord of Putnam's two office buildings on <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">Willard Street</st1:address></st1:Stre= et>. The company has a lease agreement with Ridge Athletic Club through the year= 2001, McNamara said. The company declined to reveal the cost of the lease<b= r> arrangement. "The corporate membership was extended (by the club) as part of the le= ase," McNamara said. Buses run every five minutes during the peak hours and every= 15 minutes in the middle of the day, McNamara said. In addition to the parking lot, residents also are taking aim at what they = say is a quarry in an undeveloped part of the <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:Place= Name w:st=3D"on">Blue</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Hill</st1:Plac= eType> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Cemetery</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, located across the street from the athletic club. The large pit, which some officials refer to as "<st1:City w:st=3D"on"= >Braintree</st1:City>'s <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Grand Canyon</st1:place>," includes machinery for breaking up and sorting rocks and a paved weigh stat= ion for trucks. A quarry is defined as the commercial activity for cutting or<b= r> blasting stone from the earth, including the cutting of sandstone for shipm= ent. Ridge originally got a permit for excavation work on the site in 1989, according to town records. There was no expiration date on the permit. Code= compliance officer Michael McGourty said the in= itial permit was granted under a section of town bylaws that allows removal of soils "which is incident= al to landscaping." But McGourty says the operat= ion is a quarry and sent Town Counsel Arthur Smith a package detailing the business June 12 and asked for a legal= opinion. The cemetery is on land zoned for open space and conservation and quarries = of any size are not allowed there, McGourty said. = Town bylaws allow quarries only on commercially zoned land with a special permit meeting a long list of environmental requirements, he said. In September 1990, then-Building Inspector James <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st= 1:City w:st=3D"on">Chandler</st1:City></st1:place> sent Ridge a letter saying the work "far exceeds" what was anticipated and told Ridge= he needed a permit from the zoning board of appeals. The work was intended to remove ro= ck from the land and then backfill it with soil so the cemetery could expand, = town records show. But one month later, after meeting with Ridge and an official from the Reyn= olds Brothers contracting company, <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:st=3D"on">= Chandler</st1:City></st1:place> changed his mind. He said in a letter to the company that breaking the stone up on site was in the best interests of= the town to minimize dust, noise and traffic. He also gave Ridge permission to<= br> continue the work. After getting complaints from residents, the planning board asked <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:st=3D"on">Chandler</st1:City></st1:place> to take enforcement action against Ridge in 1991. McGourt= y said town records indicate no enforcement action was ever taken. "It's wearing people's patience a little thin," Stephen Kennedy, president of the Granite Park Civic Association, said. "There's definitely a level = of frustration." Town officials have told Carole Lewis of <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:addre= ss w:st=3D"on">Eleanor Road</st1:address></st1:Street> that the cracks in her= addition are from the house settling. Lewis blames the blasting that goes o= n every few weeks at the quarry. "Pictures have fallen off the walls, little statues have broken," Lewis said. "It will scare you if you don't know it's c= oming. The whole house shakes." <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">Addison Road</st1:address>= </st1:Street> resident Robert T. Fogarty said he didn't notice the afternoon blasting until he retired two months ago. But he reached his limit two week= s ago when one of the blasts shattered the glass in an outer door of his home= . While Fogarty said Ridge sent workers to repair the damage, he believes a<b= r> commercial quarry should not be allowed. "They're running a commercial quarry in (an area) where the bylaws prohibit quarrying," Fogarty said. Residents renewed their complaints this year, and the planning board again<= br> asked for enforcement action. Attached to the planning board's letter was a= n invoice from a sand and gravel company called S.M. Lor= usso & Sons Inc., the business which now operates in the cemetery. The bill lists Blue Hill as an= address for the company. A matching phone number in the phone book lists th= e address as <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">700 West St.</s= t1:address></st1:Street>, which is <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Blue</st1:PlaceN= ame> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Hill</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Cemetery</st1:= PlaceType></st1:place>. Ridge defended the work, saying the excavation is needed to expand the cemetery. Ridge said the contractor, which has been Lo= russo since 1994, blasts the ledge on the site and removes it in order to expand the cemetery by abo= ut 30 acres. The work will prolong the time space is available in the cemetery= for about 50 years instead of the seven or eight years currently left, Ridge sa= id. "The only way we could expand <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:= st=3D"on">Blue</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Hill</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on"= >Cemetery</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> is by doing what we're doing," Ridge said. "It's a very simple situation here. We are developing the cemetery. Fundamentally, that's the reason this work is going on." Letting a company sell the material it removes is the only feasible way to = pay for the project, Ridge said. He estimated the cost without this type of an<= br> arrangement with a contractor would have been $3 million to $4 million. The= company will begin filling in a portion of the excavated land later this mo= nth, Ridge said. "There was no possible way we could afford to take down that hill there with all the ledge over there," Ridge said. &quo= t;In the long term, I think this will be a benefit for the people of the town of <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:= st=3D"on">Braintree</st1:City></st1:place>." Problems with residents are rare and the fire department monitors the blast= ing, Ridge said. A new drilling system was brought in after the problem at Fogar= ty's house, he said. Town Counsel Arthur Smith is looking into the situation of the parking lot = as well as the quarry issue. Smith said he will meet with the inspection department this week to discuss the cemetery work and hopes to give a legal= opinion by the end of the week. "The parking lot issue is somewhat more complicated," Smith said. "I know there is some kind of lease arrangement. (Ridge) certainly indicated that to me. = I'm not sure I need to know the monetary details, but I would like to see that<= br> lease. "The question is, are all these people who go there paying members of = the club," Smith said. "What adds to the complication is the arrangem= ent with the company that is basically shuttling them from there to work." -------- MAP: Bob Monahan/The Patriot Ledger Putnam Investments Site of excavation activity The Ridge Athletic Club - Site of Putnam Investments parking -------- [Illustration] Caption: Gary Higgins/The Patriot Ledger - A shuttle bus picks up a passeng= er at the Ridge Athletic Club parking lot in Braintree.; Neighbors say this wo= rk at <st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Blue</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"o= n">Hill</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">Cemetery</st1:PlaceType> in <st1:place w:st=3D"o= n"><st1:City w:st=3D"on">Braintree</st1:City></st1:place> is actually a quarry. Cemetery officials say it is expansion work. Credit: The Patriot Ledger Indexing (document details) Author(s): Roberta Holland BYLM:HOLLAR, 07/29,15:46 Section: News Publication title: The Patriot Ledger. <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:s= t=3D"on">Quincy</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st=3D"on">Mass.</st1:State></st1:place>: Aug 5, 1998. p= g. 01 Source type: Newspaper ProQuest document 327= 73082 ID: Text Word Count 1752 Document URL: <a href=3D"http://proquest.umi.com/" target=3D"_blank" title=3D"http://proquest.umi.com/">http://proquest.umi.co= m/</a> pqdweb?did=3D32773082&Fmt=3D3&clientId=3D4257= 6&RQT=3D309&VName=3DPQD =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>