Saugus Residents Blame Farm For Seagull Invasion
SAUGUS (CBS) - The roofs of some of the $1 million homes in a secluded hilltop neighborhood of Saugus are now streaked with the white, anatomical art of seagulls.
And there's a smell.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports
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WBZ-TV's Bill Shields reports
Residents of Gianna Drive and Bria Circle say they've been invaded by the birds, and they blame Rocky Hill Farm, a compost farm which is just down the street.
"Depending on how the wind blows, the odor from the farm is terrible. Now we're having a problem with seagulls," resident Frank Cambria told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 Monday.
"We have deer, we have turkeys, we have coyotes, we have every animal that you can think of. But that's natural. This farm is bringing the seagulls to us. That is not natural."
"It's a health issue, " says Cambria, who built his home on Gianna Drive ten years ago. "At first, there were no gulls, then the farm nearby started a composting business, and now our homes are covered with droppings."
Farm owners Francis and Marianne Buzun told the Lynn Daily Item the seagulls are coming because of the restaurants along Route 1, not their farm. WBZ went to the Rocky Hill Farm, but were told to leave the property.
Frank isn't the only homeowner complaining. Bob Restaino finds clam shells and chicken bones on his roof, and in the yard.
The town's Health Commissioner, while acknowledging the homeowners have a problem, says the source of the seagulls' food is not the farm. "I've been to the farm on numerous occasions, and haven't seen a seagull on the ground, " says Frank Giacolone. "I really believe the source of the food is all the restaurants on Route 1."
The issue will come before the Saugus Health Board next Monday.
WBZ-TV's Bill Shields contributed to this report.
