'We Do Not Fear New Residents': Danvers Town Meeting Debate Fallout At Select Board

DANVERS, MA — Sharp divisions over the rate of development in Danvers were on display once again this week during a town meeting debate Monday night on the latest attempt to revisit the town's MBTA Community Act zoning compliance, and at Tuesday night's Select Board meeting when Board member Dee Djoko urged against the condemnation of future occupants of the Maple Square Project.

"We do not fear new residents," Djoko declared as part of a prepared statement following a spirited public comment.

"As a Select Board member, I have heard a lot — and tonight as well — about Maple Square," Djoko said. "Some residents are worried about increased density, traffic, parking, or strain on public services — police, fire, schools, water. These are valid concerns that deserve, in my opinion, real data-driven solutions. No one can sit here and say that is not a concern.

"However, and that was spoken to a little bit tonight, I am concerned about the tone of the conversation. I've said it before and I will say it again: There seems to be a sentiment that somehow these future residents of Danvers could be a threat to our way of life. We are judging them before they even arrive here.

"That's not fair and that's not what we are all about."

• Danvers Town Meeting Voters Reject Revisiting MBTA Zoning

Speaking on a warrant article — which failed to pass — attempting to revisit the zoning allowing for increased "by right" multi-family housing in the town to meet the state MBTA Community Act requirements, Select Board member Michael Bean said: "When the fire department can't respond right away because of the mischief that might be taking place because of the extra number of people living in town — of course, there's going to be good people, but there are going to be bad people as well — it's just a fact of life.

"With every one of these buildings that we allow, if we can slow the planning down just to think a little bit, we will have a little bit more control about how our town is being used."

On Tuesday night, Bean apologized for what he said were "sloppy" words that could have been construed as the residents of a separate group home putting strain on the town's public safety resources.

"I didn't mean to sound that way," Bean said. "I am supposed to be here to help. My words were sloppy. I will try to do better because I am looking for improvement. ...

"If I said it wrong, I didn't mean it that way. I wasn't clear. ... My concern, again, is that we are not going to have enough services with the vast amount of volume (of new residents) coming to town."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)