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Date: 8/3/2021
CHICOPEE – The City Council’s License Subcommittee met to discuss a newly proposed Cumberland Farms on July 26.
If approved, the Cumberland Farms would be located along Grattan Street between Providence Street and McKinstry Avenue. This proposal has been highly controversial among both Chicopee residents and City Councilors.
Many residents have said that a Cumberland Farms at that location would cause excessive noise, traffic and speeding.
On the Chicopee Area Community Forum, resident Mark Veillette expressed his concerns.
“We already have convenience stores on every other corner. We don’t need them on every corner. Plus there is already one on that corner. And it's too busy an intersection as it is,” he said.
Resident Jim Robinson, however, wants to give the proposal a chance.
“I’m sure they will be required to do a traffic study, by real engineers. I’d like to hear what they have to say. That area is an eyesore as it sits,” said Robinson.
At the July 26 meeting, many residents came out to let the City Council know how they felt about the proposal.
“You are going to see that the street isn’t big enough to have a parking lot in it. Even Gratan Street itself is too thin for the amount of traffic,” said resident Matthew Gaudet.
Resident Constance Leblanc agreed.
“As far as the entrance on Providence Street, it can’t happen. It can not happen. We don’t have enough room on this street,” said Leblanc.
City Councilor James Tillotson also disapproved of the Cumberland Farms.
“It’s just too elaborate a plan for that location. If it was smaller and better handled, maybe, but I’ve been listening to all of the people’s input and I agree with all of them. Using Providence Street would be a nightmare,” he said.
In the end, the License Subcommittee voted down the Cumberland Farms proposal. This vote is not binding or official. The proposal will be officially voted on during the next regular City Council Meeting on Aug. 3.
Some Chicopee residents seemed to think it was an official vote and spoke of their frustrations on the Chicopee Area Community Forum.
“While I’m clear that the Licensing Committee of the City Council only makes recommendations for the larger council to vote on, if this is another case of listening to residents, glad-handing us, and then turning around to do the opposite I promise they will individually and collectively regret it in November,” said Jen LaValley Hurley.
Resident Donald Beaulieau also weighed in.
“Welcome to Chicopee politics as usual,” he said.
City Councilor Derek Dobosz commented on the Community Forum post to ease resident’s concerns.
“Everyone relax, the License Subcommittee is only a recommendation body. However, eight City Councilors were at the meeting and spoke out against it. Every subcommittee report is voted on at the next available full meeting of the City Council. There is nothing unusual about this. The special license will very likely not be granted. I can’t think of an example where the board went against a recommendation of a subcommittee,” said Dobosz.
For now, a new Cumberland Farms within the city seems unlikely.
The final vote on the Cumberland Farms proposal took place at the Aug. 3 City Council Meeting, which took place after press time. Reminder Publishing will have more on the story in the Aug. 12 edition of the Chicopee Herald.