Contractor runs afoul of Town of Warren, neighbors

Town issues stop work order, heads to court after contractors allegedly clear land without permission

By Ted Hayes
Posted 10/15/18

A Fall River contractor is in trouble with the town after workers late last week began clearing land on Denver Avenue without permission, and then ignored a police officer’s warning to clear …

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Contractor runs afoul of Town of Warren, neighbors

Town issues stop work order, heads to court after contractors allegedly clear land without permission

Posted

A Fall River contractor is in trouble with the town after workers late last week began clearing land on Denver Avenue without permission, and then ignored a police officer’s warning to clear out and allegedly tore down stop work orders posted by the town.

Earlier this month a 17-acre parcel of land at Denver and Kinnicutt avenues was purchased for $470,000 by Last Ever Realty, an LLC listed in Tiverton but run by the owner of Biszko Contracting Corp., a Fall River contractor.

Last Ever appeared before the Warren Planning Board prior to the sale to introduce a plan to build four house lots on the land, but has not officially submitted an application and more recently has been floating an idea of building 20 house lots on the site.

Last Thursday, Bob Rulli in Warren’s planning department got word from Biszko that workers planned to use the land to store equipment for upcoming work they have been contracted to complete for the Bristol County Water Authority (see separate story).

Since the message came late in the day, Mr. Rulli said he never had a chance to respond. The next morning, the situation had changed: Several abutters showed up at Warren Town Hall at 8:30 a.m. to report that workers were moving in equipment and starting to clear the property.

“They wanted to know what they (Biszko) were doing,” Mr. Rulli said.

Mr. Rulli said he called Steven Biszko, the son of owner Michael Biszko, and said he was told that workers had every right to be there. Mr. Rulli’s response was that was not the case, as the developer had not received permission of an erosion control plan for the town, nor had the work reviewed by DEM.

Meanwhile, Warren Building Official Tony Carvalho sent a notice of violation to Biszko’s attorney.
Saturday morning, police were called by neighbors when workers returned to the site. According to Mr. Rulli, an officer ordered the men to stop working and while they complied, Mr. Rulli said residents reported that work began again after police left.

Later that day, Mr. Carvalho responded to the site and hung “stop work” orders at the edge of the property. Workers allegedly ripped out those signs, Mr. Rulli said.

Mr. Carvalho went out again Monday morning to replace the signs, and Warren Town Solicitor Anthony DeSisto was in court Monday morning to file an injunction against Biszko.

As for the BCWA connection? When efforts to dissuade Biszko from working at the site faltered, Mr. Rulli said he sent a memo to the water authority stating that its contractor was in violation of Warren ordinances.
Michael Biszko was not at his office Monday; a message was left.

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