The case has been an enormous headache for town officials and nearby residents in the Blue Hill neighborhood and has so far cost tens of thousands of dollars in billable hours from the town’s law firm.
The move to repeal the water bottle ban was so controversial that the special town meeting attracted upwards of 100 more residents than had attended the Annual Town Meeting on May 7.
In a letter to the editor, Jeanné Stewart Chesanow writes: “The impact[of truck traffic] on normal living has intensified and no relief is in sight despite heartfelt testimony from the residents.”
The money for the acquisition would come from a special revenue fund containing proceeds from the sale of town-owned real estate. O'Brien has been in violation of multiple cease-and-desist orders since 2011.
The selectboard has held a pair of closed-door meetings on the possible purchase and related litigation this month, and has said its goal is to add the item to the warrant for a special town meeting scheduled for Monday, Aug. 6.
In a unanimous vote Monday night, the selectmen urged the Great Barrington Zoning Board of Appeals to reject the appeal of Gary J. O'Brien, whose trucking company has been told to halt its illegal practices on Roger Road.
Town manager Jennifer Tabakin reminded town residents of the upcoming deadlines for citizen petitions to have items placed for a vote on the warrant for the annual town meeting.
Gwendolyn Hampton VanSant, who directs Multicultural BRIDGE and co-chairs the Du Bois 150th Committee, was in Town Hall Monday night with Randy Weinstein, founder and director of the Du Bois Center at Great Barrington, to gain approval to mount banners on utility poles in town and to report on the progress the committee had made on celebrating the birthday of iconic scholar and civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois.
Selectman Steve Bannon then made a motion that, if building inspector Edwin May attends a hearing in front of the Great Barrington Zoning Board of Appeals or goes to court in the Gary J. O'Brien matter, the town will provide an attorney to represent him. It passed unanimously.
In addition to the trucks and the transfer station activities, there are reports of race cars gunning their engines on the O'Brien property on the weekends.
