DRACUT – Flavio Granda Orbes says he wants to spend a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with family and friends with his new volleyball and soccer courts he built in his backyard at his home in Dracut. “I just want to be nice to everybody. I want to tell them I’m not doing anything bad. I just want to have fun with my friends, with the little kids. They always come to play with us,” Flavio said.
Flavio says the vision behind his project is that his yard is so spacious that it would be a great idea for neighbors and friends to gather for friendly matches. What he didn’t expect was the competition he faces from some neighbors who don’t appreciate all the commotion it’s causing.
Flavius Grand Orbes Sports Court in the courtyard at Dracut CBS Boston
James Martin is the direct contact with Flavio’s estate. He and other neighbors voiced their strong opposition at a town hall meeting in April. “It’s a pure nuisance,” Martin said. “They have the stadium lights shining right into my kitchen windows at 3 to 10 at night.
Dracut City Manager Ann Vandal says Flavio is in compliance. “At the moment the only issue we have at this intersection is that he has to update and deal with the electrical permit issues he has. He was asked not to turn on the lights until he resolved that issue and he did. very cooperative Vandal said.
Flavio Grande Orbes backyard home and sports field in Dracut CBS Boston
Flavio says he moved here from Ecuador for better opportunities. He has a successful roofing business that allowed him to buy his dream home. His yard is fully fenced, he has dimmed the lights and is willing to obey all city ordinances.
Anaya Darius lives in the house next to Flavio and says that her family doesn’t mind house parties at all. “I was at home one night, it was a party, they had a lot of cars, it wasn’t a nuisance,” Darius said. “It’s never something to the point where we feel like we have to complain about the noise.”
Flavio hopes that his neighbors allow him to celebrate his culture without it being a nuisance. “I don’t know what the problem is,” Flavio said. “The first time there was parking on both sides of the road. But now we put cars in my yard. It’s a big yard.”
Paul Burton
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