Neighbors of Sandy Valley Road are up in arms over a horse barn that has been proposed for the end of their road, near wetlands and town hiking trails.
Wildstar Farm, a 22-stall barn with competition-sized indoor and outdoor arenas, is expected to open in September at 401 Sandy Valley Road, north of Gay Street. Polly Kornblith and Michael Newman recently acquired a house at that address, said Craig Foscaldo, a Sandy Valley resident.
"They're basically trying to shoehorn in this huge riding complex on their property, and that obviously has a lot of wetland implications," said Foscaldo, who is acting as a spokesman for Sandy Valley homeowners.
Foscaldo said he is concerned about the impact to wetlands - on the Wildstar property and abutting town conservation land - as the average horse produces 8 to 10 tons of manure per year.
Foscaldo also takes issue with having a commercial business in the residential neighborhood, the farm's access to the town-owned Lowell Woods, and language Wildstar had on its website that emphasize its proximity to the Lowell Woods and contiguous Conservation Commission sites and their "scenic beauty."
The Lowell Woods, which Foscaldo called "one of the jewels of Westwood," is a popular hiking and dog-walking spot. But its trails are not big enough to accommodate horses in addition to people and dogs, Foscaldo said.
A standing-room-only crowd, including many residents who oppose the horse farm, filled the Champagne Meeting Room last Wednesday for a Conservation Commission hearing on the project. Among those addressing the meeting were an attorney, wetlands specialist and environmental engineer who have been hired by residents opposing the project.
A firm hired by the Conservation Commission, Comprehensive Environmental Inc., produced an 11-page letter this month that listed potential problems with the Wildstar Farm site plan and notice of intent prepared in October by GLM Engineering Consultants Inc.
CEI's review asked how the gravel driveway would be "stabilized and maintained" to prevent erosion onto "adjacent wetland resource areas," and said a long-term storm water pollution prevention plan, including procedures for the management of animal waste, have not been "sufficiently addressed." The review also noted that the current plans include paddocks and other activities within 35 feet of a wetland boundary, which would violate Westwood's wetlands protection bylaw.
In another letter, attorneys Gregor McGregor and Luke Legere of McGregor & Associates argued that the notice of intent is "incomplete, inadequate, and overreaching," and urged the Conservation Commission to "to issue a denial order of conditions under both the state wetlands protection act and the Westwood wetlands protection bylaw."
