Date: 6/15/2021
SOUTHAMPTON – In a 127-31 vote during the Annual Town Meeting on June 13, Southampton residents decided against making a zone change on 173 & 175 College Hwy.
The land is currently assessed to American Dream Reality LLC, an independent real estate company located in Westfield and co-owned by Emmanuel Sardinha and Paul Sardinha. The applicants were hoping to change the zone from a Residential Village (RV) to a Commercial Village (CV) for developmental purposes.
Sofia Bitzas, director of operations for R Levesque Associates, spoke on behalf of American Dream Reality and said that the Sardinha family was looking to extend their family business, which currently stretches between Westfield, Southampton, Easthampton and Northampton. They are most known for owning commercial properties that are both plazas and standalones generally associated with Dunkin Donuts.
“It’s probably no surprise that I would be opposed to this kind of a change because it has the potential to personally impact the value of my property,” said the abutter of the zone. “This is not a hugely beneficial proposal.”
The Southampton Planning Board voted 2-2 during an April 7 public hearing with regard to the zoning change. Robert Kozub of the town’s Historical Commission said that the commission opposed commercial development on the site because it sits directly in the state and federal Southampton historic district, and near the Center Cemetery, which is a national registered historic site. One resident agreed with the commission’s sentiment during the Annual Town Meeting.
“It is certainly one of the most historic sites in our town,” said the resident. “The presence of commercial structures and commercial activities directly across the road from the cemetery will diminish and degrade the history, memory and honor that is exemplified by the cemetery today, and has been for a hundred or so years.”
Meanwhile, Cindy Palmer, a member of the Southampton Planning Board, expressed her objection during that April public hearing, and continued that sentiment during the Annual Town Meeting.
“We are voting on a mystery at this point,” said Palmer, who argued that without a proper plan, the applicants do not have much of an argument for why the town should vote for the zone change. “I refute that this change would even begin to approach a solution to our town’s financial challenges.”
Palmer continued by saying that Southampton already has empty commercial buildings at the north end of town, as well as un-developed commercial zones along Route 10. “I’m worried that if in a few years this was commercially developed, and there was a business there that closed, we would see an empty building surrounded by blacktop,” said Palmer.
In a closer 67-64 vote, Southampton residents decided to not pass a citizen petition that would have increased the salary of both the Town Clerk and Treasurer/Collector. The petition was looking to raise the Town Clerk salary, which currently sits at $40,669.24 without the override budget included for FY22, by $6,720.20 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022.
The petition was also looking to raise the Treasurer/Collector salary, which currently sits at $51,584.07 for FY22, by $7,349.21 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022.
Maureen Groden, the chair of the Selectboard, argued in opposition to the raise because the balanced budget was already approved by the Selectboard in one of their prior meetings. According to Groden, every department in Southampton was financially reduced by 4 percent due to COVID-19, which is why the board decided to focus on raising wages by at least 2 percent for non-contract employees-and specifically looked at those employees who fell below the 10 percent on the low end of the wage. Some employees received a 4 percent increase.
The override budget of $718,466.51 was approved by residents, and therefore will be placed on as a ballot question during the June 22 Annual Town Election.
Funding for the acquisition of the right of way for the Greenway Bike Pedestrian Trail will also show up on the ballot for June 22. The town is looking to be exempt from the provisions of Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion and appropriate $270,000 to pay for design costs. Southampton has already received two grants for the project already. One was $100,000 for the actual purchase and rights of the greenway railroad. The other is a $6 million grant to help build the greenway. Both grants could expire if the town decides to vote against the proposal during the election.
The other significant ballot question will be whether or not the town votes to appropriate a sum of $261,000 to purchase a new single axle dump truck with plow and sander body for the town Highway Department. Residents will be asked if the town should be exempt from Proposition 2 ½ for this project.
The Annual Town Election is June 22 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Town Hall.