Board continues Cumberland Farms site plan hearing
Date: 11/9/2011
Nov. 9, 2011By Debbie Gardner
Assistant Editor
WEST SPRINGFIELD —Despite the widespread power outages in town, it was business as usual for the West Springfield Planning Board last Wednesday evening.
As part of that business, the board voted to continue the public hearing on a site plan review regarding changes to the existing gasoline station located at 143 Park Ave. and 47 Union St. until its Nov 16 meeting.
The proposal before the board called for the demolition of the existing building at the site of the former Gulf gasoline station to allow for the construction of a 4,242 square foot building, which would house a convenience store, and the installation of 10 fueling stations. Cumberland Farms and Gulf Oil of Framingham, is the applicant.
Stephen Savaria, senior project manager for building designer Fuss & O’Neill of West Springfield, presented the applicant’s responses to a total of 16 Department of Public Works (DPW) concerns regarding the proposed project, including the location of an exit driveway that would be directly opposite a proposed Doctor’s Express location at the site of the former International House of Pancakes (IHOP), located on the opposite corner of Park Avenue and Union Street.
Savaria said that, as the IHOP site was vacant when Cumberland Farms began its application process in April, no traffic study was performed regarding those exits. However, Savaria said when he met with West Springfield Police Chief Thomas Burke in April, Burke had no objection to the driveway location.
Savaria noted this decision was important in light of DPW concerns “because [the police] have access to safety data.”
Planning Board Chair Frank Palange seemed surprised by the mention of the Doctor’s Express proposal, and asked West Springfield Planning Director Richard Werbiskis if that project would also be coming before the board for consideration.
Werbiskis explained that, as the Doctor’s Express project involved only an addition to an existing building, it would not require a full site plan review and would be taken up only by the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).
Savaria addressed another DPW concern that “the site would be an attractive place for tractor trailers to stop,” by indicating Cumberland Farms had no plans to install commercial diesel pumps at the site, leaving only the store itself as a draw. He said as there is no parking available along Park Ave., the only traffic concern might be rigs trying to park along Union Street. He suggested the board explore creating a no parking zone in that area to eliminate any potential problem.
In answer to a DPW question about the processing of storm water runoff, Owner Project Manager Lukien Distefano of Bohler Engineering said the runoff plan for the site plan, which utilizes a proposed green space, would meet new requirements being considered by the town that storm runoff from businesses not discharge into the municipal storm water system.
Planning Board Vice Chair Also Bertera asked if the storm water runoff would increase significantly if Cumberland Farms chose to eliminate the proposed green space in favor of more parking spaces in the future.
Distefano said it “might increase it slightly, but it will still meet [municipal] regulations.”
He made one waiver request of the board, that it allow one area to have a curb cut wider than the DPW’s 24-foot requirement, “to allow for tractor trailer delivery of fuel and for better circulation of traffic.”
Werbiskis asked Distefano if Cumberland Farms had any similar facilities in the area that the board could visit before granting final approval to the site plan. Distefano said there was a similar facility on Memorial Drive in Chicopee, and another located in Palmer. Cumberland Farms Attorney Dennis Powers also brought to the board’s attention an unresolved special permit issue with the project that was still pending before the ZBA.
At Werbiskis’ suggestion the board continued the public hearing “in case the Zoning Board of Appeals makes any substantial changes [to the site plan because] if they did, we’d have to open another public hearing.”
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The Planning Board did give quick approval to another Park Avenue business’ request, this one for a zoning variance to install limited seating by Steven Kozar, owner of Kozar’s Deli at 143 Park Ave.
Werbiskis explained that in his original request, Kozar had not planned for any indoor seating, but as he has observed patrons eating in their cars in his parking lot, he was requesting a variance to install six stools by the window of his business.
Palange asked if by granting this variance, the board was in some way setting precedence by granting the variance. Werbiskis said no.
“He does not want to encourage people to stay,” Werbiskis said, but wants to accommodate those customers who are already eating on the premises.
Werbiskis also noted that, by installing stools, Kozar’s triggers a fast food designation, which requires 1.75 parking spaces fore very two seats. As Kozar’s parking lot has five parking spaces, Werbiskis said the business would be within the town’s ordinance if it installed six stools.
Planning Board member Kate Harrington said she thought the addition of limited seating at the deli was a “great idea.”
Debbie Gardner can be reached by e-mail at debbieg@thereminder.com
