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Date: 11/20/2023
LUDLOW — At its Nov. 9 meeting, the Planning Board discussed a proposal that would create a corridor that would require a special permit for businesses to built along Center Street.
This would allow the Planning Board to have more control of what businesses go in that area and can take away the permit if they aren’t meeting the criteria.
The corridor would run from Ludlow Avenue Bridge, past Randall’s Farm and end around Apex Dental Associates, 653 Center St.
“Ultimately, I think we just need to push on people the fact that this is the only real way that we can stop some of the way that development has been happening along that corridor,” Planning Board Chair Raymond Phoenix said.
The initial plan showed any parcel within 100 feet of Center Street marked in green, all parcels abutting Center Street in blue and all other abutters in red.
Based on the proposal, the Planning Board noticed there are parcels that are located “deeper or further away” from Center St., but Planning Board member Christopher Coelho said that would be beneficial.
He said, “That would cover situations in the future like we are experiencing now should some of those older residential homes become purchased, torn down and then tried to use for business purpose.”
The idea for this plan first started when the Planning Board knew there were traffic problems by the highway exit but had to approve any plan since they met the requirements of the site plan.
Planning Board member Joshua Carpenter said, “I know it is a missed number but going back to the Starbucks with the painting of the striped lines, we all knew it wasn’t going to work but that is what we were told had to be done. The problem is with the site plan when that is all that is needed coming in. As long as it meets A through X or whatever the letters are we have no real say in it. You can have a lot of things that could ruin that area.”
Phoenix said that his vision would be to have this plan ready for May Town Meeting but acknowledged that May Town Meeting is usually focused more on money articles and Fall Town Meeting includes more bylaw articles.
Phoenix added, “Maybe it’s because I am just tired of feeling like we have to approve projects that shouldn’t get approved, but I really don’t want to have this continue any longer than it has to in that corridor.”
The Planning Board also discussed how this plan would affect existing businesses or homes in this corridor.
Phoenix said, “As we are contemplating the wording on this, it would be like a special permit required for everything other than agriculture or single family residential. So then if one of these properties is just residential, we are not saying if you want to put up a shed you have to come in for a special permit. That would be silly.”
He added, “You got sections like Dunkin Donuts. I know Dunkin Donuts has a drive-thru, so it requires a special permit right now anyway, but Dunkin Donuts are they technically fronting on Center Street? They are technically on a side street which is why I wanted to capture something that goes further back than that.”
The Planning Board said the next steps include gathering more information on the current businesses with special permits on Center Street and looking at an updated proposal that includes expanding the district to 150 feet and 200 feet from Center Street.
Phoenix added, “We are going to have to have more conversations, so I think as far as whether we want to go that far up Center Street, whether we want to go further, whether we want to cut that back I think we are at a good starting point.”