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Date: 6/20/2023
EASTHAMPTON — The Easthampton Planning Board once again continued the public hearing for the Sierra Vista Commons development, at the old Tasty Top site, but hopes to have some resolution by the middle of the summer.
Several people representing Tasty Top Development, LLC. updated the board on significant changes that have been made to the plan for the property off Route 10, at 93 to 97 Northampton St. to address concerns about the development that have been brought up by residents and the planning board. Among those changes are the removal of 14,000 square feet of retail space, changing a loading area into green space, removing one planned residential building, and shifting another to the west. The developers will now clear 1.3 fewer acres of land and estimate that the removal of the retail space will lessen the traffic by 1,400 daily trips.
“This project is part of the overall [city] scheme for balance between growth and open space,” said Don Abel, attorney for the developers. He noted that the project is very large, but that it will be done in phases. He also added that the project will bring a significant increase in the tax base as well as to help the current housing needs of the city.
Peter Graham, a local housing consultant from the company Valley Housing Consultants, walked the board through his assessment of the affordability of the project to address concerns that the affordable housing units set to be built were not affordable enough.
The plan calls for the building of 202 units over the course of seven years. The threshold to be eligible for an affordable housing unit is generally an income that is 80% or less of the area median income. The plan would have 54 units per round of building fit this criteria. In addition, there would be 28 units available for those with low income, set as 60% of the annual median income, and 16 units for those with very low income, set at 40% of the annual median income.
“I don’t want to hear that this isn’t affordable,” said Graham.
The city’s Conservation Commission is currently waiting on a peer review that is expected in the coming weeks. Planning Board Chair Jesse Belcher-Timme said the planning board is also waiting on a report from its own traffic experts as well as the developer’s traffic experts to see if the traffic concerns have been resolved.
The board is hopeful to have those reports in the coming weeks and be able to have some resolutions by the end of July or early August.
“I want to make sure we consider everything,” said Belcher-Timme.
After the Sierra Vista Commons hearing, the board also approved changing the property at 42-44 Pleasant St. from a mixed-use building to residential use only. The former retail space on the first floor will be turned into three one-bedroom units and 1,200 square feet of space on the second floor will be converted into a one-bedroom unit. The improvements to the property will also include things like masonry, a new roof and new windows.
The board also approved a special permit for the property at 334 Main St. to renovate the upstairs into four one-bedroom apartments, each being about 650 to 700 square feet. The property’s first floor, a convenience store, will not have any changes, nor are there any planned changes to the building’s exterior.