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Re: (ATMoB:Discuss) Victory in Lynnfield over car dealer

Great job Mario!!! Would you consider moving to Chelmsford? ;-)

Bruce Berger

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mario E. Motta" <mmotta*at*massmed daht org>
To: <atmob-discuss*at*atmob daht org>; "aavso-discussion"
<aavso-discussion*at*informer2.cis.McMaster.ca>;
<ESDELEGS*at*listserv.massmed daht org>; <nelpag*at*harvee.billerica.ma.us>
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 10:42 PM
Subject: (ATMoB:Discuss) Victory in Lynnfield over car dealer


> Hi all,
>
>         Just want to report on a victory over the "bright" forces. Herb
> Chambers owner of Flagship Motors on Rt. one in Lynnfield (Mercedes
> dealer) as some of you know, put up 150,000 watts of metal halide
> lighting with many glare bombs a few years ago. I got the town to pass a
> light pollution law shortly after that (1998) because it is so obtrusive
> to the area.
>         Well..... He now wants to expand his business, and asked to
> rezone 5.4 acres behind his business to expand his parking lot. In
> return, he would give a few acres to the town for conservation. At the
> last town meeting I spoke against this, and pointed out his bad
> lighting. Tonight there was a special meeting of the planning board, and
> the place was packed, standing room only.
>         Mr. Chambers lawyers and engineers presented the plan, and
> stated how they would "fix" the current lights and only use full cutoffs
> for the new lot. But here is the best part: He then brought out Ken
> James from BU, presented him as a "professional" astronomer from BU to
> describe the lights and how they would be astro and environmentally OK.
> Ken James is in fact an astronomer I know (He has spoken at the ATMoB in
> the past), and they brought him out to specifically counter what I would
> have to say later. I am amazed, do you think I am getting under his skin
> a bit to go to that much trouble? People sitting around me were
> chuckling as they knew exactly what he was brought in to counter. The
> astronomer then demonstrated the new lights.
>         Herb Chambers also has been taking out full page adds in the
> local paper, and one of his points is to make the lighting better. When
> I got up to speak, however, I pointed out this is really too little and
> too late. He put up some shielding recently on some of the light poles,
> but not all, and this was only after a legal challenge and he paid a
> fine. He has done nothing about other existing light poles still "grand
> fathered in", and he still has glare bombs on the building and around
> the property that negate any minor shielding they put up. Plus the light
> intensity is massively overdone anyway, far exceeding the 20 foot-candle
> standard now in force. The Chair of the planning board actually publicly
> thanked me for getting the light pollution law in place (Does this show
> Bias?).
>         There were many townspeople who then got up and described the
> horror of living next to this car dealer, and brought out many other
> environmental laws the dealer has broken (spray painting autos in the
> woods behind the dealer with no pollution controls, breaking of many
> restrictions the town had originally placed on the dealer, etc., etc.).
> In Fact for the outdoor auto body work, the Board of health Chairman who
> was there states that he will file a fine against the car dealer!!
>          So.... the vote was unanimous to recommend no change in zoning
> for Herb Chambers, killing his chance to expand. It is not yet over, he
> can appeal to the town meeting for a vote, but.....fat chance.
>         After the meeting one of his hired guns (Lawyers) came up to me
> and sneered..."you know, this is not Arizona"  (A reference to an
> example of good lighting in dealers I had made.).  My response
> was..."does that mean that the citizens of  Massachusetts should have
> any less of a quality of life"   He just walked away.
>         I am still blown away that they would hire and bring a BU
> astronomer to a town planning board meeting just to counter me, I think
> I got his attention!!  For all those fighting local issues out there,
> this shows what can be done with persistence and determination! Life
> does not get much better when you win against a light polluter and also
> get a fine against him as well!
>
> Mario Motta, MD
>
>
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