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Date: 6/21/2022
CHICOPEE – A proposed travel center from Pilot on 357 Burnett Rd. garnered pushback from residents during a May 5 Planning Board meeting. After additional criticisms from the public, the City Council opted to send the item to a future Licensing Subcommittee meeting during their June 7 meeting.
Background
During the Planning Board meeting, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. (VHB) Director of Land Development John Furman detailed the background behind the site’s history. Furman served as a part of an initial project that transformed the space into a mixed-use hotel, gas station and sit-down restaurant space in 2018. While the project gathered the necessary permits, the advent of the coronavirus pandemic halted the project.
Shortly after, Pilot expressed interest in becoming involved with the site. Furman shared that the design team continues to work alongside Eversource and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), ensuring that the space features a reduced carbon footprint and meets traffic qualifications. Furman also explained the team’s alteration of plans, such as the removal of a Wendy’s drive-thru, were to prevent disturbances.
Residents of Burnett Road expressed stern opposition to the truck site. Prior to the meeting, a resident requested a recorded phone message throughout Chicopee notifying community members to oppose the project, according to Ward 6 City Councilor Derek Dobosz.
Among the concerns, residents expressed that the proposed travel center would halt traffic significantly and increase the noise pollution on Burnett Road. Dobosz also highlighted the site’s proposed above ground gas storage as a “somewhat dangerous” inclusion.
The Planning Board ultimately approved preliminary plans for the site before voting against finalizing plans for the site.
City Council
Ahead of additional Planning Board deliberation, the council discussed the applications for the Pilot Travel Center and its above ground gas storage.
Residents re-aired skepticism about the project during the council’s public input session. David Amo said he and his neighbors oppose the proposed truck stop. He advocated for the council to support the “unanimous opposition” against the truck stop.
“Everybody was opposed to it. It’s your responsibility as councilors to represent the people of the city of Chicopee. You should deny any permit just strictly on quality-of-life issues if nothing else. We haven’t had one resident or business of Ward 6 come forward to be in favor of this truck stop,” said Amo.
Amo assured the council that residents will come out “in strong numbers” to oppose the item in future meetings. Other citizens raised similar concerns. Susan LaPlante referenced a similar Pride truck stop making the proposed Pilot travel center redundant. She also highlighted the negative traffic impacts the travel center will have on the “congested area.”
During the council’s discussion of the items, Dobosz remained critical of the proposed travel center. Dobosz said the project would be “very, very harmful” to the area due to its traffic impacts.
“Their own traffic study said it would increase Burnett Road’s traffic by 10 to 20 percent. That’s quite significant…I’d like to bet if there was another traffic study by an independent actor, it would be a lot higher,” said Dobosz.
Dobosz also further critiqued the “irregular” above ground gas storage.
“I’ve never heard of that before…There’s no gas station that I know that has an above ground gas tank. That sounds like a bomb waiting to go off. [It’s] absolutely ridiculous, we don’t want this,” said Dobosz.
Dobosz said he and his ward residents agree the property can be redeveloped, but said that “smart developments” that fits the neighborhood’s sensibilities are necessary.
Ultimately, the council voted unanimously to send the items to the Licensing Subcommittee meeting. The items will appear again during the Planning Board July 14 meeting along with a future Licensing Subcommittee agenda.