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Staff Writer AGAWAM In an auditorium full of residents both for and against the proposed "Agawam Pavilion" shopping center project on Tennis Road, the Planning Board hosted a public hearing about a possible zoning amendment to the Business B District that would affect the proposed center as well as any other large shopping centers built in the city. Although the zoning amendment deals with any shopping center in the city, members of both Citizens in Favor of Retail and Citizens Against Reckless Development, two organizations that formed after National Realty Development Corporation (NRDC) expressed interest in building in the city, attended the meeting to express their opinions about the amendment and the proposed shopping center. The proposed Agawam Pavilion shopping center would be 563,265 square feet. According to a summary of the amendment created by the Planning Department, the current zoning ordinance for the Business B district allows only one principal building per lot and has a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet. The amendment includes changes so that the bylaw would allow retail shopping centers comprised of more than one building and would require a minimum lot size of 50 acres. The amendment would place restrictions on parking lot landscaping, lighting, regulation of outdoor storage and control over the building's facade, whereas the current zoning laws do not specifically regulate those aspects, but require that they must be shown. The proposed changes also increase the requirements for front yard, rear yard and side yard setbacks. The proposed change also states that the shopping center must be located within 2,000 feet of a state or interstate highway exit or entrance ramp. The current bylaw does not include any such specifications. The amendment also suggests buffers and greenspace minimums, which are not included in the current zoning bylaw. Prior to the public hearing, Dennis Hopkins, chairman of the Planning Board, explained that because the amendment was submitted by 10 registered voters, the Planning Board could not make any changes. He added that the Board would listen to the residents and would then vote to recommend or not recommend the change to the City Council, which would then host a public hearing to approve or not approve the change. He also said that the amendment would affect all large shopping centers in the city and is not specific to the proposed Tennis Road project. He added that even if the amendment was approved, NRDC would have to seek a zone change, which would require a public hearing at the Planning Board. Once the Board votes, it would give its recommendations to the City Council, which would go through the same process. Hopkins said that the same process would take place for a site plan review, and if special permits are needed, NRDC would have to go through the Zoning Board of appeals. During the public hearing, Lisa Davis, a planning consultant, and Jay Posnick, an attorney for NRDC, spoke about the zoning amendment on behalf of the company. Davis, who explained that she has worked on over 30 shopping centers, has 20 years of experience and has written, reviewed and implemented many bylaws, said that there is nothing in Agawam's current bylaws that would prevent someone from coming in and subdividing a 10 acre lot into a series of big box stores. She added that the proposed amendment "would allow for a well designed integrated project subject to individual site control." Davis also said that by changing the zoning bylaw, stores would share signage and driveways rather than each store creating their own, if separate big box stores were built. "This bylaw amendment gives the Planning Board greater control," she said. Davis also spoke about positive impacts that large shopping centers have on a community. She said that office buildings, warehouses and shopping centers are all "tax positive." She added that there are communities that have three shopping centers and still have a thriving town center. She mentioned Northampton as an example. According to Davis, many people in Agawam frequent stores outside of the city and if a shopping center were to be built in the city, "people would more than likely shop in Agawam." If Target, for example, were to come to Agawam, it would draw customers away from Holyoke and Enfield and would "help keep shoppers in Agawam," Davis said, adding that people would then purchase gas and perhaps buy lunch in Agawam as well. According to Davis, a large shopping center does not cause any additional traffic, which is a concern for many residents. Instead, she said that there is a shift in traffic patterns rather than an increase in traffic. Posnick began by saying that he was at the meeting on behalf of his client NRDC, which he said is a "family run business [that is] interested in developing a shopping center in Agawam and in serving the Agawam community." Posnick said that the goal of the amendment is to ensure that retail shopping construction would be done "responsibly to meet the needs of the community" and would "create a long-term positive relationship" between the community, developers and city government. "The proposed zoning amendment sets forth a minimum requirement that must be satisfied in order to build," he said, mentioning minimum greenspace, buffers and other requirements. He said that the zoning amendment would allow the city to have the "type of shopping center so many residents would like to have without the inconvenience of traveling to other communities to do [their] shopping." After Davis and Posnick gave their presentations, Hopkins said that he had some observations about the amendment and reinforced the fact that the Planning Board cannot make changes. He gave some suggestions about changes that should be made to the proposed amendment, including that the frontage setback requirements should be increased, special permits should be required, the need to establish the types of streets, requiring two trees instead of one and set a maximum lighting level requirement. The Planning Board gave members of the community an opportunity to voice their opinions about the zoning amendment and Hopkins asked that they try to keep their comments about the amendment rather than the proposed Tennis Road project. Resident Elaine Cardaropoli, who is in favor of the zone change and the proposed Tennis Road project, said that senior citizens on a fixed income should not have to drive to Enfield, Holyoke or West Springfield to shop. She added that the proposed shopping center on Tennis Road would be "maybe 10 to 12 stores," which is not a Holyoke Mall or Riverdale Street. Resident Tom Paleologopoulos, who is in favor of the amendment, said that the Planning Board needs some control over developments. "The absence of control needs to be addressed," he said. "You as the Planning Board [need to] look at the vision of Agawam, where it is going and what it means and make your decision accordingly." Eric Jack, another resident in favor of the amendment, said, "It sounds like the amendment would favor both sides. The amendment is for the betterment of the town of Agawam as a whole." He suggested that the amendment be approved to meet the development needs of the city. In addition to speaking on behalf of the proposed zoning amendment, many resident in favor of it stood up and spoke in favor in name only. Many Agawam residents who attended the meeting were against the zoning amendment and the proposed Tennis Road project. Resident Michael Martin explained that his grandmother lives on Mill Street and has lived there for over 60 years. He said that he drives by and picks up trash on her lawn and he is afraid that increased traffic from a shopping center would cause more problems. He also said that Davis and Posnick did not say that retail would benefit Agawam, but said that it would be site specific. Karl Merriam, chairperson of CARD, said, "Responsible zoning is long overdue in Agawam, but the proposed amendment is a step in the wrong direction." He said that the amendment was written by the proponent of the Tennis Road project and it is "designed zoning meant for NRDC." Merriam also said that there is not one parcel of land that fits the requirement of the proposed amendment. "No parcel of Business B or Industrial meets [the requirements] as stated in the amendment," he said. "Why is the amendment written for property that does not exist?" Merriam also asked who would be responsible for the traffic study and said that the amendment would bring increased automobile and truck traffic to the city. According to Merriam, the Urban Land Institute classifies any shopping center over 50 acres as a regional shopping center. Owen Broadhurst, a resident opposed to the zone change and proposed "Agawam Pavilion," said that the proposal is like "putting lipstick on a pig." "The proposal is a public relations device to sell the zone change," he added. "It is intended to pave the way toward public acceptance." According to Broadhurst, a large shopping center is not the type of "development we need in our town." He said that he is opposed to the prospect of having any such development Agawam. "You can't attempt to put a smiley face on a disaster," he said. Resident Richard Bennett, who is opposed to the zoning amendment, said that Agawam does not have enough four-lane roads to support a large, 50-acre shopping center. He said that West Springfield has Routes 5 and 20 and Westfield also has Route 20. "They are all multi-lane roads," he said, adding that the city does not have the infrastructure to handle all of the traffic. One resident, who is against the amendment, said that "there is not one person in town who likes to shop more than I do." However, she said, "The amendment is not written for the benefit of the town, it is written for the developer." She added that when looking at NRDC's website, it advertises the "Agawam Pavilion" as a regional shopping center. Patty Merriam, a resident against the proposed amendment and the large shopping center mentioned many flaws in the amendment, including a lack of restrictions on adult bookstore. She is also concerned with traffic impacts. She said that a large shopping center does not fit in with Agawam's character. "All growth is not positive," she said, adding that the city should avoid "asphalt rivers and future concrete shells." Many residents who live on or near Silver Lake were opposed to the zoning amendment because of potential negative impacts that a large shopping center could have on the lake and its surrounding environment. Resident Donna Jago, who is against the proposed amendment and the NRDC project, suggested that the Planning Board reject the amendment in its entirety because it cannot make changes. She added that the city should re-write the zoning laws in their entirety. "The plan if a figment of NRDC's imagination," she said. "The land does not exist." In addition to the resident who spoke in opposition about the proposal, over 50 residents spoke in name only against the amendment. The Planning Board did not vote on the zoning amendment, but said it may vote at its July 21 meeting. Hopkins said that anyone who spoke during the hearing should send bullet points to the Planning Board reinforcing their statements. For more information about the two citizen groups CARD and Citizens in Favor of Retail, visit their websites at www.agawamcard.com and www.citizensinfavorofretail.com. For more information about the proposed "Agawam Pavilion" or NRDC, visit www.NRDC.com. | ||||||
