By Adam Swift
A number of residents from the Admiral’s Hill neighborhood expressed their concerns with plans for a fish processing facility planned for the former Signature Bakery plant on Justin Drive at Monday night’s city council meeting.
Earlier this year, the council approved a zoning change allowing for fish processing facilities in Chelsea’s industrial zones.
Late last month, city officials announced that Wulf’s Fish was looking to relocate from the Seaport District in Boston to the Justin Drive location.
That proposal still needs to come before the city’s zoning and planning board for approvals. The facility was not on the agenda for the zoning board’s April meeting, which was scheduled for Tuesday night.
Concerns about noise, pollution, the environment, and odors from the proposed plant were all raised at Monday night’s meeting.
Commandants Way resident Svetlin Bordarov focused on the proximity of the proposed facility to his residential development and the impact from truck noise and traffic.
“I have grave concerns, mostly about air pollution from the trucks,” said Bordarov.
The exhaust from the trucks, which he said could number as many as 50 and be running as early as 4 a.m., would cause both short- and long-term health problems, including dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pains, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
“That is because this facility is only 80 meters away from our building; this is 260 feet,” Bordarov said.
In addition to the exhaust, he noted that the constant noise from the trucks could also cause a number of health problems.
“We are going to be helpless,” Bordarov said.
Commandants Way resident Suzanne Perry said she understood the council made the adjustment to allow for fish processing facilities in the industrial zone, but she said there was a reasonable expectation in the neighborhood that the property would be used as it had been in the past for something such as a large-scale bakery.
Perry said that the residents could still have a chance to be heard at the upcoming zoning and planning board meetings.
“Several of us have been to the Wulf’s Fishery and walked around in the Seaport,” Perry said. “While the area outside is very clean, which is not the case further down the Seaport where the fish piers are, there is definitely the smell of fish … it smells like the sea.”
The prospect of traffic congestion with trucks using Commandants Way was also a concern, Perry said. In addition, she said the area also has issues with rodents, and that the new facility would only add to that issue.
“I look forward to being able to present this at the zoning board meeting in a more serious way,” Perry said.
Several residents expressed dissatisfaction with what they said was the city not being as transparent as it should be about the plans for the property, while others added that the property could serve a better use for the city.
“That site is a missed opportunity, you guys have to look at the bigger picture here,” said Joe Lafond. “All the stuff that is happening with the casino and the possible soccer stadium coming in; that piece of land is a cornerstone. The first impression … of people coming into Chelsea is going to be a seafood processing that smells like seafood.”
La Colaborativa Executive Director Gladys Vega said she has spoken to a number of residents who are opposed to bringing a fish processing facility to the site.
Vega said she is a strong advocate for jobs in the community, but said she would rather lose the 150 jobs proposed for the processing facility rather than allow it on the site due to the environmental concerns.
Council President Norieliz DeJesus noted that the council does not deliberate on topics brought up during public speaking if they are not on the agenda, but thanked those who spoke about their concerns and urged them to stay in touch with their councilors.
“I was not aware of the concerns raised today, but I am thankful you have taken it upon yourselves to come here and share it with us,” she said. “We will obviously keep that all in mind.”
Also during the public speaking portion of the meeting, a number of students and young people spoke in favor of Chelsea maintaining its sanctuary city status and the fear many in the community have felt during recent immigration actions taken by ICE agents in Chelsea.
While the council also did not have anything on its agenda to discuss its longstanding sanctuary city status, Vega said it is important for Chelsea to maintain that status.
“Saying that we are hiding criminals is absolutely not true,” Vega said of the federal actions. “I have been here for 40 years, and that is not true. I want criminals out of the city the way anyone else wants them out, but there is a judicial system.”