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Date: 8/24/2021
WEST SPRINGFIELD – During the West Springfield Town Council meeting on Aug. 16, councilors discussed and voted in approval of two utility petitions: commercial kennels and the establishment of the Bear Hole Revolving Fund.
Councilor Sean Powers said, “I move to approve the zoning ordinance amendment proposed by Mayor William Reichelt to add commercial kennel as an allowed use into Business A, Business B, and Business B1 zoning districts by site plan review.”
Council President Brian Griffin explained that the “Doggy University” located on River Road was “grandfathered in.” The current owner of this property, Kim Balboni, has decided to no longer extend this. With that, Griffin said the city of West Springfield has no zoning to establish a doggy daycare.
Powers explained that as a subcommittee, they would like to make a motion to amend the site plan review requirements to a special permit by the Planning Board. Prior to the Town Council meeting, Powers and his Ordinance and Policy subcommittee met as a group where they passed this vote three to zero.
He added that they had a “healthy” discussion regarding the topic and ordinance itself. Powers and other councilors want to see an annual health and permit review, however, this will come further down the road.
Powers made a motion to amend the main motion to allow the use by special permit from the Planning Board. The motion was seconded.
“This piece explains in part what we’d like to do once this is approved in terms of the general ordinance and making sure these are run properly, but what’s in front of us tonight is the zoning piece and the zoning piece only,” said Powers. He added that if passed, the special permits from the Planning Board will allow them to look into more details such as neighbors, notifying abutters, looking at individual businesses, etc.
As the Planning Board looks at this piece by piece, Powers said he thought this would be a good “interim.” He added that they are looking to add an annual renewal permit.
Councilor Nathan Bech said, “I will be supporting this. I want to be pro-business and welcoming to businesses… but the main reason I’m supporting it is the last thing you said – that we’re going to have a provision in place with a basically annual check.” In essence, if a business were to open that was “disastrous” there would be a way to shut it down.
When it came time to vote on the amendment, the council voted eight in favor, zero opposed. Voting on the main motion resulted in the same outcome.
Griffin said, “Thank you for your work on this – [Town Attorney] Kate O’Brien Scott as well.”
He continued, “I applaud Councilor Powers for his work on this, and for taking his time and attempting to get it right.”
Powers also discussed the establishment of the Bear Hole Revolving Fund. He said, “This is just adding language to our general ordinance – finance chapter, that establishes the Bear Hole Revolving Fund and essentially pieces to that. Right now, proceeds of a sale will temporarily be held in the town’s real estate account. Once we vote to establish this fund, the mayor’s office will come back and seek an appropriation from us so that we can assign it to the revolving fund specifically. At that time, we’re going to be able to look at how that money is used, expenditure, and will have a more adequate understanding of how that money is being used.”
Griffin explained that now that Bear Hole is protected, they needed to find a sole caretaker of the fund and all the money coming in. After some debate among the councilors, Conservation Agent Mark Noonan was named the steward of the fund. The stewardship is through Reichelt and O’Brien Scott.
Griffin looks forward to the next step; the management plan. He said, “[It] will take a while to be vetted out, but it’s specific to the property going forward.”
Additionally, a committee will be established. The committee will consist of Victoria Connor, Parks and Recreation director; members of the Town Council, Conservation Agent and the Environmental Committee.
“What I like about the mayor’s approach is everyone has a seat at the table,” said Griffin.