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Date: 12/26/2023
BELCHERTOWN — With Brisa Development LLC presenting their proposed plan for Phase 1 of the Carriage Grove project, residents have their concerns about it, but some also don’t know about the project at all.
Resident Donna Buxton met with the Select Board at its Dec. 18 meeting to discuss the lack of communication about the proposed project.
“One of the things we soon realized as we spoke with others was that there are very few people in town who are aware of any of this taking place. Folks have no information at all and if anyone did have any idea of the State School property was that they thought it was going to be developed for elderly housing and business light industry,” Buxton said.
The redevelopment of the Belchertown State School, dubbed the Carriage Grove project by MassDevelopment, is intended to bring new mixed-use developments to the former site of the infamous institution for the disabled.
A public hearing for the project took place at the Nov. 28 Planning Board meeting.
Phase 1 “A” will focus on creating a 108 unit, multi-family apartment complex and Phase 1 “B” will focus on the reuse of two existing administration buildings into a museum and café/food market.
Although there will be affordable housing, the complex will also include duplexes and other style homes.
The presentation also said that there will be approximately 1,200 more new cars of traffic traveling in Belchertown and at Carriage Grove.
Many residents have taken to social media to complain that a project of this magnitude should be discussed at Town Meeting.
Petitions were being handed out at Stop and Shop regarding the new construction at the state school grounds.
The petition listed areas they think this project will affect including the size of Belchertown schools, the Police and Fire departments, water supply, the road system, taxes home values and quality of life.
Buxton said, “With such a major project taking place in town, we believe it is of the utmost importance that the residents in Belchertown be aware and kept informed as this will certainly impact and change our town as we know it.”
Brisa Development LLC will be meeting with the Planning Board to discuss a second presentation on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Select Board room or remotely.
Belchertown Economic Development Industrial Corporation at-large member Jonathan Spiegel was also present at the meeting to answer any questions or concerns.
According to its website, “The EDIC was formed in 1982 to develop and implement a Town Meeting-approved economic development plan on the site of the former Belchertown State School that maintains the small town look and feel, creates significant jobs and ideal business development that recognizes the past and enhances the future of the town of Belchertown.”
Other residents have stated that at a separate Town Meeting, the property was approved for business development, an assisted living facility, education and research, municipal use but not for residential.
Spiegel said that no matter what plan has been presented to the EDIC, it has always had a housing component.
He said, “We’ve had numerous other developers come to the EDIC to try to propose how they would build out the property. Some wanted fanatical kind of ideas like a spa or underground parking and didn’t get anywhere. We declined to have someone build 150 houses on Foley Field because there was nothing beyond that.”
The proposed project is scheduled to be completed in four phases, according to Spiegel.
“The other phases are a majority light industrial and business. We are still negotiating on phase two which may need an expansion of assisted living which would be the next stage,” Spiegel said.
He added, “We have consistently developed this town and we have been able to manage that. Everybody hopes that all we could do is get tax money to flow into town, but it was never planned to be only business or tax generating, tax positive flow endeavors there.”
Select Board Chair Ed Boscher said that Select Board member Ron Aponte, Town Administrator Steve Williams and the EDIC will work on a communication system to help give residents project updates on a quarterly basis.
Select Board member Peg Louraine added that those with concerns in town can either come to Town Hall and join the meeting or view them remotely.
She said, “The meetings of the Planning Board and the EDIC are broadcast live if you have cable. If you do not have cable, they are live streamed on your computer on the BCTV website. I appreciate those who come in the room, but you can watch from your living room if you choose but they are also rebroadcast on multiple occasions and uploaded to the computer.”