NORTH ATTLEBORO - Curiously, it was the water, water everywhere in the Hickory Woods subdivision that caused sparks to fly during a meeting called to help address the problems that have long been plaguing the neighborhood.

Tempers flared and gavels were banged during a joint meeting between the board of health, board of public works, electric department, planning board and selectmen as they attempted to come up with solutions to help homeowners who are swimming in water and still lacking a properly paved road after months of discussions.

Developer Fred Bottomley said he has completed the subsurface drainage work and plans to regrade and pave the subdivision's roads in the spring. Most at the table agreed that problems were caused by the subdivision's builder - which was not Bottomley - as basements are set below the water table and drains were installed and dumping water into the street, which helped to undermine the roadway.

Improvements being made

Planning board Chairman Raymond Payson said that improvements are being made. "What we've done out there has probably improved it by 70 percent," said Payson. "What we're trying to do now is just finish the job up."

Other board members disagreed with his assessment.

"You can't say there's a 70 percent success. Sure, you're noticing improvements, but we need to go through a spring and severe storm events before we can call it a success," said board of public works member Robert Norton.

North Attleboro Electric Department General Manager James Moynihan said he sees little improvement from his end, as an underground electrical conduit is still flooding so much that wiring is being affected.

"We are very disappointed with the process from our standpoint. We are no different from the homeowner - we have water in our conduit, we have water in our transformer pad. We have sent the planning board three letters and had no response," Moynihan said. "What's clear to us is that we can not rely on other town boards to protect the electric department's interests."

Bottomley said that inspections were not done frequently enough when the electrical conduit was installed.

"The planning board should speak for itself instead of letting a developer speak for it," Moynihan responded. "So far, you've said this is the homeowner's issue, it's a board of public works issue, it's a board of health issue, it's an electric issue. There's nothing going on from your end - so why are you here?"

Payson said that some of the issues raised should be before the building inspector, not the planning board.

"I didn't come here to get crucified. I can't help it if the pipes are filled with water. It's not our problem," he said.

Several board members said that is major problem is that no one is taking responsibility for the issues in the neighborhood. "Boy, there's a lot of blame that could be put around this table," said Selectwoman Marjorie Kraskouskas. "We need to sit down as a group and go over all of the relevant regulations."

Board members scheduled another meeting to continue to hash out the issues raised - though Hickory Woods resident Donald Achin left the meeting just as frustrated as when he arrived.

"Our yards have been torn up on numerous occasions - completed and torn up, completed and torn up. All the residents want in that neighborhood are sidewalks and streets. I'm still driving up a cart path to go home three-and-a-half years later," he said. "If a business was run like this, you'd be bankrupt."NA boards boiling mad over water