Politics & Government

UPDATE: School Construction Delayed After New Appeal

There are not yet estimates as to how long the project will be delayed following an abutter appeal of the Department of Environmental Protection's ruling.

Update at 6:52 p.m.: Board of Selectmen chairman Mike Newhouse just verified to Wilmington Patch that a second appeal was filed just prior to the 5 p.m. deadline that included a list of 10 residents.

Original Story:The has been delayed once more as an appeal of the was filed prior to Friday’s deadline.

One abutter of the project appealed the that was approved by the DEP on Friday, July 13. As a result, the school plans will go to an adjuticatory hearing, which .

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Town Manager Michael Caira did not want to comment on specific delays or cost impacts associated with the latest appeal, but said he hopes the process moves as quickly as possible.

“I don’t want to tell people that the project is delayed for days, weeks, or months because of this,” said Caira. “I just want to say that in general terms, the project is delayed. If there was no appeal, we would have begun work on Tuesday. There is an appeal, so we are going to try to have the appeal dealt with as expeditiously as possible. How long it’ll take, we’re not sure.”

Find out what's happening in Wilmingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Board of Selectmen member Judy O’Connell said she was disappointed to hear the news, and added that she believed the town had taken the appropriate steps to avoid this action.

“The biggest and most profound impact will be on the children who will go there, and the faculty that teach there,” said O’Connell. “The children come first, and they are the ones who will suffer the consequences of this decision.”

Check back with Wilmington Patch first thing Monday morning for complete reaction to the latest appeal.

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