Burrillville council reviews school committee letter and ongoing litigation over proposed high school athletic complex

The Burrillville Town Council on May 28 took up public comment and a letter from the Burrillville School Committee after the planning board denied the athletic-complex application for Burrillville High School.

The school committee, led by chairwoman Terry Lacy, sent a May 9 letter asking the planning board for an explanation of its denial and saying further delay would harm student athletes. The letter stated a recent Superior Court decision by Judge Darrigan “cleared this project to move forward,” and noted outside experts’ reports that, the school committee wrote, "artificial turf does not appear to present any danger." The letter was signed by Lacy and four other school committee members.

The exchange came amid lengthy public comment both for and against installing artificial turf at the high school. Michelle Howser, a resident who identified herself during public comment, said she was speaking as a parent concerned about drinking water and recounted ongoing health problems affecting her daughter. "Watching your child suffer daily is something I wouldn't wish on any one of you," Howser said. Others on the council and in public noted previous testing and reports posted on the town website.

Council members and members of the public debated whether the planning board review was required at the project’s outset. Several speakers pointed to two court rulings related to the project and to technical reports by outside consultants. School committee members and supporters said the project had been delayed by litigation and by the planning board decision; opponents reiterated concerns about health risks and PFAS in turf materials and cited webinars and outside technical commentary that identified turf as one of several potential pathways to groundwater.

At the end of the meeting the council disclosed two votes taken in executive session: the council voted to retain William Connolly as special counsel related to planning-board litigation, and to notify the planning and finance departments of that decision. The council motion to seal executive-session minutes was approved and the body publicly disclosed that two votes had been taken.

No final land-use permit or construction approvals were decided by the council at the meeting; the planning board retains authority over plan-review decisions and the legal process noted by speakers remains active.

The council clerk said copies of the court decision and supporting documents are available on the town website or by request to the clerk’s office.