An Andover Street resident said he will “probably have to sue the Town” after the select board declined to take any action during his resident complaint resolution hearing Wednesday morning.
“I’m very confident with how [the issue] has been handled by the Town departments,” select board member Ellen Townson said before the board adjourned the 75-minute hearing. “I have full faith in the departments and the way everything is being handled.”
Max Saccoccio alleges Town officials have been complicit in intimidation and ethics violations by his neighbor when he went before the Ballardvale Historic District Commission last February with an application to construct a fence on his property. Saccoccio shares a driveway with Ronald Abraham, owner of Elm Street Towing and a former commission member.
Abraham recused himself from the hearings in March and July of last year, but Saccoccio claims he influenced the denial of his application. He also claims Abraham has used his connections in Town to intimidate Saccoccio and his family.
“The situation has just spiraled out of control,” Saccoccio said. “We’re scared for our family’s safety….we don’t know what line he’s going to cross.”
Peter Caruso, an attorney who represented Abraham at Wednesday’s hearing, said his client had lived in Andover for 52 years with “no issues, no complaints until now.” He called Saccoccio’s allegations defamation.
“Good fences make good neighbors, providing you have a good neighbor,” Caruso said. “Ronald Abraham is a victim here. This is an attempt to besmirch not only several town officials doing their job but a long-time resident of Andover.”
Saccoccio said the couple was seeking to put up a fence dividing their yard from the driveway after seeing trucks from Abraham’s business driving erratically on the road. He said when he discussed the issue with building inspector Chris Clemente he was told “Ronnie has a lot of friends in this town.”
The commission denied the application in June 2023, and the Saccoccios appealed the decision with the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission. Saccoccio said after the MVPC issued a favorable ruling, the Andover DPW “retaliated against us and cut two of our fruit trees severely. Six days after our appeal came back, there was no work order for this trimming and one of the trees was over 30 feet from the road.”
At Wednesday’s hearing, Town Counsel Doug Heim said the trees were on Town property and Abraham requested they be trimmed because he had poor visibility when pulling out of the right of way the two neighbors shared onto Andover Street.
Saccoccio claims Abraham has driven drunk on the shared driveway, which crosses over Town conservation land. He said Abraham has given the finger to his wife and installed cameras aimed at the Saccoccio’s property. Saccoccio is in the process of installing a separate driveway on his property.
“The Town staff and police department brushed it off,” he said. “They [the select board] rally around the staff no matter what.”