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Date: 10/19/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – About a dozen people came out to a community development workshop at Birchand Park Middle School on Oct. 12 to give input and ask questions about two community programs.
The more controversial of the topics was the mixed-use village overlay district that has been proposed for the area directly surrounding the rotary. The district would add the possibility for multipurpose buildings to be built in the existing commercial, business and industrial-zoned areas. For example, developers could create buildings with shops, offices and other businesses on the ground floor and residential spaces on the floors above. Other housing options allowed in the district include two-, three- and four-family buildings, and townhouses. Playgrounds and parks would also be allowed in the area.
Some uses, such as used car lots, gaming establishments, cannabis dispensaries and animal kennels would be prohibited.
Community Development and Planning Director Bailey Mitchell has stated in previous Planning Board meetings that the overlay district would ease traffic congestion and improve the walkability of the area, revitalize blighted or vacant properties, preserve green spaces and address the lack of available housing in town.
Stations were set up with information on the potential for a mixed-use village. The first station explained what a mixed-use village is and asked residents to write how they thought a village may support or conflict with the priorities laid out in the town’s Master Plan.
The second station addressed the village’s location. People were asked to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the center of town, defined as the commercial, business and industrial-zoned land around the rotary. A map was provided to show the area in question. Residents listed the rail trail and center field and the rotary among the strengths, while some of the vacant and blighted buildings were said to be weaknesses.
At the final station, photos and design renderings of mixed-use buildings were laid out so residents could see how potential developments might look. Pink stickers were provided for people to place next to buildings they disliked, while blue stickers were meant to signify the ones people liked. Sticky notes were available for people to explain why they felt positively or negatively about their most or least favorite designs, respectively.
“I like this one,” Matthew Boucher said pointing to a photo of a building with large windows on the upper, residential floors, “but I can’t picture it downtown.” Boucher sits on the Town Council but was attending the workshop as a resident.
One resident said he was in favor of developing the downtown area, but not including residences. “We’re not a city, we’re a small town. I lived in a city before, that’s why I moved to East Longmeadow,” he said. Town Council President Ralph Page, who was also attending the event as a private citizen, pointed out, “If it’s done correctly, you can walk over to Center Square Grill, you can walk over to Rocky’s [Ace Hardware].”
Another resident told Community Development and Planning Director Bailey Mitchell, “There’s plenty other land in town.” She said the development does not need to be around the rotary. Mitchell explained to her that much of the land in town has been developed for single-family houses, limiting the locations available for new developments.
“I think it could work,” Page said of the mixed-use village, but added, “I’d rather see a district instead, with its own regulations and bylaw.” He told Reminder Publishing that an overlay district does not restrict or address the issues of the underlying zoning. “It doesn’t keep industrial [businesses] out of downtown.” He noted existing businesses could be grandfathered into a newly zoned district.
At another table in the room, representatives from Howard Stein Hudson, an engineering and land development consultant, spoke with people about the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program, which provides grants to identify and mitigate potentially dangerous circumstances and locations at risk of flooding or other damage from climate change. Displayed at these tables were areas of East Longmeadow that are known flood plains, locations of town buildings and infrastructure, as well as ideas for residents who want to build resiliency into their own yards. Handouts showed examples of gardens to attract pollinators, native plants that provide shade and lawn coverings that help retain moisture in the ground.
Howard Stein Hudson helped the towns of East Longmeadow and Hampden submit an application for a $400,000 grant to identify areas of poor climate resiliency. Associate Principal Senior Civil Engineer Steven Tyler said they were largely focusing on culverts and flood plains. He noted the intensity of storms is increasing, causing more rainfall in shorter periods of time and overwhelming stormwater systems.
In addition to answering questions and receiving feedback at the workshop, Howard Stein Hudson will be doing the same type of outreach in Hampden before its Special Town Meeting on Oct. 24.