DRACUT — Flavio Granda Orbes says he wants to have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with his family and friends with his new volleyball and soccer courts he built in his backyard at his Dracut home. “I just want to be nice to everyone. I want to tell them that I’m not doing anything wrong. I just want to have fun with my friends, with the little kids. They always come and play with us,” Flavio said.
Flavio says the vision behind his project is that his garden is so spacious that it would be a great idea for neighbors and friends to come together for friendly games. What he didn’t anticipate is some of the competition he faces from some neighbors who don’t appreciate all the commotion it causes.
Flavio Granda Orbes’ Backyard Sports Field at Dracut CBS Boston
James Martin is directly linked to Flavio’s property. He and other neighbors voiced their strong opposition at a town hall meeting in April. “It’s a real nuisance,” Martin said. “They have stadium lighting that shines directly into my kitchen windows at quarter to 10 at night.”
Dracut director Ann Vandal says Flavio is complying. “At this point, the only issue we have at this junction is that he needs to update and deal with the electrical permit issues he has. He has been asked not to turn on the lights until he solves this problem and he did. He was very cooperative, ”said Vandal.
Flavio Granda Orbes’ Home and Backyard Sports Field at Dracut CBS Boston
Flavio says he moved here from Ecuador for a better opportunity. He has a successful roofing business which allowed him to buy his dream home. His yard is fully fenced, he has dimmed the lights and agrees to abide by all municipal bylaws.
Anayia Darius lives in the house next door to Flavio and says her family is not at all bothered by house parties. “I was home one night, they had a party, they had a lot of cars, it wasn’t a disturbance,” Darius said. “It’s never something that gets to the point where we feel compelled to file a noise complaint.”
Flavio hopes his neighbors will let him celebrate his culture without it bothering him. “I don’t know what the problem is,” Flavio said. “The first time there were parking lots on both sides of the road. But now we put the cars in my yard. It’s a big yard.”
Paul Burton
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