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Date: 5/25/2021
WEST SPRINGFIELD – West Springfield Planning Board hosted a remote zoning ordinance amendment hearing on allowing the use of commercial kennels in business districts by site plan review and by special permit.
The purpose of this zoning amendment goes back to the interest the town has had in doggy daycares. Dog parks are classified as commercial kennels.
Town Planner Allyson Manuel stated the town restricts commercial kennels to properties that have five acres or more. The reason is because Massachusetts General Law provides an exemption for agricultural uses which does include commercial kennels.
The zoning amendment presented would allow for the commercial kennel on less than 5 acres only in business zoning districts. In residential districts, the 5-acre requirement will still exist and be subject to the Massachusetts General Law regulations.
The board had several concerns, primarily on the noise, safety, and odor issues a dog daycare might have near a business district.
“Do you want to go to Outback Steakhouse and the next property over there is a dog hotel? They still make noise and do everything that dogs typically do. I’m pretty against it right now,” Chairperson Frank Palange said.
The board agreed to make an unfavorable recommendation to the proposed zoning ordinance amendment to the City Council.
The board also continued a public hearing involving a special permit application request from Maverick Media to place a 14-by-49-foot, 125-foot-high digital billboard on a monopole facing Interstate 91 South, on the property located at 120 Interstate Dr. in the Industrial Park (IP) zoning district. The hearing had been continued from the May 5 Planning Board meeting.
They have previously presented in front of the planning board as a citizen petition and were fully vetted.
Petitioner Maverick Media is a certified woman owned and operated business and corporation. They are certified in outdoor advertising and licensed with the Outdoor Advertising Board.
The billboard would be a double-sided digital board with a 10 second rotation period with no flashing lights or sounds permitted.
In the petition, one item the council recommended previously was availability of use by the host community. The applicant is dedicating 10 hours monthly to the town for advertising community events, or public service announcements. The billboard will be for state and town use. This recommendation was built into the permit application.
The special permit application was approved by the board subject to conditions that include not containing flashing or intermittent lights or no moving and scrolling advertisements. The billboard shall not emit any sound. The billboard structure and surrounding areas shall be kept reasonably clean and neat free from rubbish and other litter. Necessary maintenance needs to be performed in a timely manner. The billboard must also comply with all applicable regulations including the lot not being altered in any way.