ZBA Chair Wants Boch Ice, Neighbors to Compromise [VIDEO]

More than a dozen neighbors of spoke out against an outdoor non-ice rink, constructed and used last summer .

Residents and members received a first-hand look at the rink Thursday evening, and saw a demonstration of the noise level of the boards, and of one-and-a-half-inch thick padding the rink's owner has suggested using.

Boch Ice Center owner Paul Cokinos is trying to receive proper permits from the ZBA, but neighbors have used the opportunity to rail not only against the noise level of the outdoor rink, but other issues they say are problems.

"I can make [the padding] thicker," Cokinos told neighbors. "We can do two-and-a-half inch pads."

Neighbors complained about three lights above the outdoor rink that shine in their homes, parking on the side of East Street, late-night traffic coming from the ice center and drinking alcohol in the parking lot.

"I know the saying 'it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission,' but he is taking it too far," said Glenn Williams, a neighbor of the rink.

Anthony Delapa, a developer of two homes next to the rink, said he and his realtor have had trouble selling the properties because kids use the outdoor space on the weekends.

"It has hurt us in the past, it is probably going to continue to hurt us," said Peter Cwieka, a realtor for Keller Williams. "If he asked for a permit, did it right, I don't think anyone would oppose it."

After the meeting, ZBA chairman James McGrail told Dedham Patch that he hopes the two sides have a community meeting and come to a compromise.

"I'm trying to use this as a tool for these guys to sit down and maybe come to some meeting of the minds on some issues. And if they don't, then we have to make some decisions," McGrail said.

Cokinos plans to use the outdoor rink for a total of eight weeks a year, he said.

McGrail said the ZBA could vote on the permitting of the outdoor rink at its August meeting, but it would probably wait to make a decision until September.

"There were some new ideas that came to the table that haven't been spoken before," McGrail said. "There hasn't been a lot of dialogue in the middle."