Corey Partlow said he would rather be on Mill Street, and said Bethany Road is like "a landfill" due to the tornado's destruction.
Corey J. and Tina-Marie Partlow stand in front of the temporary trailer at 18 Mill St. in Monson, the home of Tina-Marie's mother. They lost their home on Bethany Road to the tornado, and wanted to keep the trailer on Mill Street, but moved the trailer back to Bethany Road to comply with zoning regulations.MONSON – Corey J. and Tina-Marie Partlow are back on Bethany Road, after town officials told them they had to move their temporary trailer from Tina-Marie's mother's property at 18 Mill St. to comply with zoning regulations.
Their Bethany Road home was damaged in the June 1 tornado, and they wanted to stay on Mill Street during the rebuilding. The trailer was moved July 11. Corey Partlow said he would rather be on Mill Street, and said Bethany Road is like "a landfill" due to the tornado's destruction.
They are concerned that their insurance will not cover the second move of the trailer, and if there will be enough room to rebuild their home on the quarter-acre property now that the trailer is there. The decision to have the trailer moved was made by acting zoning enforcement officer L. Chip LaPointe.
Selectman Edward A. Maia, who has been in contact with the Partlows, said even though there is a proposal to change zoning bylaws to allow temporary housing on sites other than that of the destroyed residential dwelling unit, the trailer still wouldn't have met setback requirements if it remained on Mill Street, as it was too close to a pool and the street.
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. regarding the bylaw change. The change allows for the emergency relocation of trailers to other sites given that the property owner has agreed, and that safe traffic patterns can be maintained on the street, a 10-foot setback can be maintained from the side and rear property lines, and the front setback allows a safe line of sight for the roadway, pedestrians, and driveway egress, as well as space to allow snow removal and road maintenance.
The Partlows initially were told that they could have the 60-foot trailer on Mill Street, something officials blamed on miscommunication in the days after the tornado. The Partlows went to a selectmen's meeting last month to make their case for keeping the trailer on Mill Street; they were supported by several residents, including some they had not met before that night.