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Date: 9/14/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The retiring owners of Western Growers Inc. will be able to build a few more condos on their property, after the Town Council backed a zoning change at its Sept. 5 meeting.
The council agreed to change the allowed density of the Special Use-Multifamily zone from 5.5 units per acre to 6 units per acre. According to an analysis by R. Levesque Associates, this would allow for 44 townhouse-style condominiums on the property at 45 Piper Cross Rd. and 189 Morgan Rd., rather than 40 condos.
Seymour said he and his wife plan to close their greenhouse and plant nursery, which they have operated since 1979, at the end of this season. They will sell the land to a developer to finance their retirement. Seymour said because of increases in the cost of building materials, and because of infrastructure requirements like sidewalk installation that were not in place when the SU-M zoning rules were written years ago, he needs the additional units to get builders interested in the property.
“Things change, and things have changed dramatically, post-COVID,” Seymour said. “In case you haven’t noticed, prices have skyrocketed. … That would translate to any builder, also. If he doesn’t have the wherewithal to spread his costs out, you’re going to stymie all building in town.”
Pat Garbacik, a former School Committee member who has worked closely with the Seymours as a member of the West Springfield Garden Club, said they deserve consideration from the council and support in their retirement because of their generous support of beautification efforts in town throughout the years.
Planning Board Chair Frank Palange also spoke on the Seymours’ behalf, saying the extra four units represent “slim to no difference” in how a condo project would impact its neighbors.
Councilor Anthony DiStefano opposed the zone change, saying it needed to be based on something other than the needs or interests of a specific landowner, regardless of how well-liked the landowner is. He also said he had asked for documents demonstrating that the land could not be developed profitably under the old density requirements, but would be profitable under the new ones, and received no response.
Another opponent was Council President Edward Sullivan.
“I believe it would be ill-advised and irresponsible on the council’s part to vote this through not knowing the ramifications of the zone change throughout the community,” said Sullivan.
He said he wasn’t sure how many other properties would be affected. Li had said that the only other property covered by the SU-M zone is the Windpath condominiums on Piper Road, which she characterized as already fully built and unlikely to take advantage of the new density rules.
Councilor Michael Eger welcomed the zoning amendment as a matter of policy. He said the town should encourage more high-quality condo and apartment projects, both to stave off Chapter 40B subsidized affordable housing projects and to better serve the growing market of young professionals, like himself, who don’t want or can’t afford a detached single-family house. He also saw an environmental reason for the change.
“I actually would approve a higher density throughout the whole town, because the larger the property is, the more trees you have to cut down. It’s not environmentally sound to have large houses with large lawns.”
The vote was 6-2, with DiStefano and Sullivan opposed. Councilor Brian Clune was not present at the meeting.