To the editor:

I hardly know how to proceed I am so frustrated and disappointed in our town leadership.

In the Jan. 15 TRC meeting minutes, there are TWO patently false statements made by Herb Durfee regarding the school construction plan. I have recently spoken to those who know RIDE law inside and out and everyone has confirmed my prior understanding that it is truly IMPOSSIBLE for the upcoming $250M school construction plan to have accounted for projected student enrollment increases or vehicular traffic from the proposed Zion project.

Yet, Herb clearly stated such falsehoods in the Jan 15 TRC meeting thus misleading that committee, the Planning Board who is reviewing the minutes from that meeting as they prepare to render their vote, the developer, and the residents of our town. 

It is not acceptable to have false testimony made by a town official in public record.

From the TRC minutes,

"Chair Durfee stated that a fiscal impact analysis was needed to evaluate the costs and benefits of the development, particularly impacts on municipal services and schools. He noted that prior school enrollment projections had accounted for the proposed development and were factored into planned school additions."

This is completely a false statement. It is NOT LEGAL for RIDE to fund any school construction based on enrollment projections for any project before it is approved. As this proposal is not approved even as of today as I write, it surely wasn't accounted for back in 2023-24 when the Stage 2 submissions that included demographic projections were included. That would have been illegal and put our 50 percent reimbursement at risk. This is demonstrably false on every level and I am outraged that our Town Planner would speak such lies at such an important meeting.

Furthermore, while there is expansion at the elementary schools and BHS in the construction NONE of which accounts for additional school kids who would move into the SH development, there is NO planned construction at BMS which is already nearing capacity.

From the TRC minutes, 

"Mr. Godfrey criticized the traffic study’s conclusion that traffic impacts would be minor. He stated that the projected vehicle increases more than doubled peak-hour traffic and raised safety concerns, particularly near schools and at access points to Route 114. He asserted that the study did not adequately evaluate key bottlenecks or off-site impacts and should consider mitigation measures. Chair Durfee added that the applicant should review proposed school expansion plans, particularly changes to drop-off and access configurations."

The implication made by Planner Durfee is that PHS drop off and pick up patterns were redesigned to account for future Zion traffic which is UNEQUIVOCALLY not true. It was designed to improve the CURRENT traffic nightmare which occurs twice every school day NOW for families who live north of PHS and at no point was it taken into consideration the possibility of additional hundreds of school age children (and cars) without access to busing (that location is too close to get bussing) who would therefore likely be driven as is the case now for most families - yes, some walk, bike and scooter but let's not forget these are little kids and we live in New England.

It is a complete falsehood that our school construction project accounts in any way for an assumed approval of the ShineHarmony proposal. I am demanding that these statement be publicly retracted and corrected by Town Planner Herb Durfee.

Best,

Neile Hartman

Barrington