A plan to build a storage facility at 203 Mouse Mill Road appears dead, after a steady stream of concerned neighbors implored members of the Westport Planning Board last week to hold the would-be developer to the town and state’s standards, and cautioned that approving the project could have severe negative impacts on the neighborhood.

In the end, board members voted unanimously to “disapprove” the project, but not before board members heard a mouthful from neighbors.

What was the plan?

The plan, by property owner William Wright, was to build a 7,200-square-foot metal storage facility on a lot just south of Mouse Mill’s intersection with American Legion Highway. Wright, who through an engineering firm also owns adjacent property at 683 American Legion Highway and developed a commercial facility there about 12 years ago, did not speak at the planning board’s public hearing on the matter, sending engineer Matt Pike in his stead.

The hearing followed a meeting on the project in September, at which questions were raised about the project’s impact on groundwater runoff and other environmental issues.

While Pike said last week that engineering plans for the project adhere to regulations and should be effective at keeping additional runoff from the site to a minimum, neighbors weren’t so sure.

“I think that there’d be a marginal improvement ... but not to the extent that they’re taking credit for,” Steve Gioiosa, an engineer hired by abutters, said. Given inconsistencies with the plan and the type of soil that may or may not be on the site, as well as other issues, he said, “we think that there’s enough elements here that should at least be evaluated.”

Manuel Bagaco, of 212 Mouse Mill Road, lives across the street from the proposed site. He said runoff has long been an issue in the neighborhood, and was exacerbated when Wright put in a large building at 683 American Legion Highway, which abuts the site, in 2012. Approving additional construction in the area without properly vetting it, he said, could have a severe impact on the neighborhood.

“It’s going to affect all of our properties,” he said of he and his neighbors. “What’s going to happen when they add over 7,200 square feet of building, with the runoff from that? We’re just very concerned about what is going on here.

Other neighbors expressed similar concerns, and also spoke about what has happened in the neighborhood since the American Legion Highway building went up. Though there were conditions put in place that required the service and maintenance of the property’s stormwater systems, several said they’ve not been maintained and that has led to excessive runoff.

“Nothing’s been maintained here at all,” Deb Medeiros, of 48 Old County Road, said. Given that, they suggested, they are leery of additional development by the same person.

“They’re damaging our property and our leaching field. It’s happened numerous times — there’s no explanation at all, no concern, no transparency, no accountability.”

“We are very concerned about the overflow,” added 200 Mouse Mill Road resident Lorna Xavier.

“I’m not convinced that the owners are doing their due diligence. This is a known problem in our neighborhood (and) I think this is just going to exacerbate the problem.”

Wright, said Dawn Oliver of 216 Mouse Mill Road, “has not been a good neighbor. The water flow has not been maintained and it’s only going to get worse, and our neighborhood has been suffering.”

Board members balk

After the close of the public hearing, several board members said it is apparent to them that the project would need more study before it came to a vote. But when one mentioned a possible continuance, Pike said he wasn’t interested:

“I’m not going to request a continuance,” he said. “I’d like to have a vote.”

With that, board member Robert Daylor moved to disapprove the application, and it received unanimous approval.

Said board member John Bullard just before the vote:

“Westport is wonderful because there are so many good neighbors here. But there are also people who aren’t good neighbors, and who say things like, ‘Hey, this is my land; I’ll do what I want,’ who don’t seem to have a regard for their neighbors, who don’t understand the relationship between one person and the person who lives next door.”

The planning board “deals with rules and we don’t deal with how to become a good neighbor. But we didn’t invent a whole bunch of people coming here saying that ‘We’ve retained an engineer, we’ve retained a lawyer, because we’re sick and tired of water flowing across the street into our yards.’ We didn’t invent that.”

If the conditions set down a decade ago upon the construction of the 683 American Legion Highway property “aren’t being followed, why would we be inclined to just add on to that problem?”