Dunkin' hearing is rescheduled by the Board

By Erin O'Connor

Staff Writer

WEST SPRINGFIELD A meeting of the West Springfield Planning Board on Oct. 4, resulted in the postponement of a hearing for special permits for a proposed Dunkin' Donuts and drive-through at 2260 Westfield Street.

The hearing is rescheduled for Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. in the second floor auditorium located in the J. Edward Christian Municipal Office Building.

"Lots of people are not here because nobody knew. The meeting has been rescheduled four times," Anthony Bragga, an abutter of the property in opposition to the drive- through, said to members of the Board.

The hearing was postponed at the Oct.4 meeting after Board Chair Aldo Bertera questioned his own presence in the hearing due to his personal interest in property on Westfield Street. Bertera's absence was then requested for by both Harold J. Aumed, an abutter objecting the drive-through, and the developers for the drive-through. This resulted in a lack of necessary Board members for a formal vote.

The first hearing was originally scheduled Sept. 6 but due to lack of board members and conflicts of involvement with board members, the issue has received three postponements.

Objectors of the drive-through said they are hoping for more opponents at the next meeting and would like all abutters of the property to be notified by mail of the next meeting.

"My concerns are the increased traffic," Bragga said. "They were going to put this [Dunkin Donuts] at [the location of the former restaurant] Little George but they [developers] passed this up. This is at the bottom of a hill with people doing 45, 60."

"I live three to four blocks away on Sibley Avenue and there are no sidewalks and no traffic lights," John Lonergin said to Reminder Publications.

"People who cannot get back out [Route 20] will go down Sibley Avenue. There are five school buses dropping off children who are not facing in the direction of traffic. You have people in traffic drinking coffee, eating donuts and talking on cell phones."

Longerin said that if there is talk of light installation or traffic measures his concerns would be reduced.

"This is not going to be an easy approval," Richard Werbiskis, planning director of the Planning Board said.