Neighbors abutting the Old Orchard Farm property, located off the east side of Hope Street just north of Rockwell School, recently received word of a plan to make some big changes to the neighborhood, and they aren’t too happy about it.

“The density, that’s our biggest concern,” said neighbor Deborah Dady, who has lived with her husband Christopher at 39 Peckham Place, adjacent to the Old Orchard Farm property, for 30 years. “They are proposing houses on 7,500-square-foot lots.”

Developers John Lannan and Ron Louro have a purchase and sale agreement on the property, currently owned by Douglas Klein, Sarah Klein, William Josephs, and Charlotte Josephs., which is contingent on town approvals.

The plan calls for 24 house lots which, if “inclusionary” housing is added to the plan, could increase to 33, three of which would be duplexes, for a total of 36 dwellings. The developers will be seeking relief on several fronts in this R10 zone.

Plans call for the extension of Old Orchard Farm Road, modification from regulations for street right of way width, pavement width and length of the cul-de-sac (which will require a waiver for a dead end over 300 feet). 

There is no other access to the neighborhood, a fact that could potentially be a public safety concern, as well as a hindrance to plowing and trash pickup. If the dead end waiver is not granted, the remainder of the petition becomes a moot point.

If it is granted, the developers will still have several hurdles to clear.

There is no public water to the proposed development, and no plans to bring it in, so wells would need to be dug to serve the community. There is no town sewer, so a pressurized system would need to be installed to convey the neighborhood’s sewage out to the main line.

Access to the property crosses a wetland, and according to town planning officer Diane Williamson, the proposed developers are asking the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for a wetland edge verification so they can better seek to address that complication.

Another possible concern could be the fiscal impact of the development. With possibly as many as 36 homes, neighbors are wondering if it could trigger a school redistricting.

“We just feel it’s too much,” said Ms. Dady. “We always knew there would be houses going in, and there have been, over the years. But they have been on big lots of an acre or more.

“But this development is something we never envisioned. It will ruin the feel of our rural neighborhood.”

Neighbors are planning to come out in force for Thursday night’s review of the master plan for this major subdivision. The Bristol Planning Board will hold a Public Informational Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Bristol Town Hall, 10 Court St.