Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 12/31/2021
HOLYOKE - Paul Gallagher, a trustee for the Cherry Hill Estates Condominiums, spoke on behalf of the condominium association and said they are seeking to extend the current zoning of R1 into one parcel.
The extended parcel would then become an RM20 zone all the way through so that the property is commonly zoned throughout.
He said the topic of the 6.7-acre piece of land on the property came up at their last annual meeting, and residents brought up possible uses for it, such as building amenities such as a basketball court.”
He explained as they looked at possibilities, they discovered that “we didn’t have a continuous zone throughout the complex,” and said that expanding the complex would be “way down the road.”
Planning Board Vice Chairman, Mimi Panitch said the board would need to determine the best use of this piece of property and “its better use and zone” they are seeking.
Gallagher questioned her remark and said, “It’s the property of the HOA (Home Owners Association). They’re paying taxes, and they are saying why can’t we use this land?” and noted that “this was an unusual situation because they usually don’t see parcels that are split like this.”
The board also raised the question of what was surrounding the lot. Gallagher stated Holyoke Community College (HCC) is abutting the land as well as the HCC parking lot. Under more scrutiny by the board while viewing the map of the zone, they discovered private residences on George Frost Drive and Massachusetts Commonwealth at HCC. Further west was West Cherry GE Water Department and a privately owned area. Gallagher also noted that the Cherry Hill section “slopes off like a cliff.”
Michael Schaffer, an engineer with Hadley Associates, spoke on behalf of Gallagher Estates and said that a zoning of single-family residential wouldn’t serve any purpose because of a drain in that area and that also there are wetlands in the northwest and southwest corners. He pointed out that because it is a condominium association, they would have “limited ability to do much there.”
Also, in lieu of Panitch’s response, he continued to say that they are first seeking approval from the Planning Board before moving forward with exploring possibilities of what the association would do with the property. He said, “I am requesting that the zoning be contiguous with the zoning that is owned by the association; it functions as an association.”
Wayne Kling, a resident from Dale Street, spoke during the public hearing and stated that a ridge in the middle of the R1 section of the zone goes from Dale St. straight down to the HCC parking lot and continues down.
He voiced concerns that if the zone were expanded, it might be expected to connect to Dale Street in order to gain access to it. He noted that it’s a “cul-de-sac neighborhood and a one and a half car-wide street, and if the zoning were to change to an RM20, with possible apartments or condominiums, that would incur traffic coming down Dale Street.”
Panitch reiterated that she would be more comfortable changing the zoning if they knew how much of the property was developable and what the land would be used for.
The Planning Board decided to continue the discussion at the next meeting on January 11.
As for the item on the agenda regarding signs for Dollar Tree, Anchor Signs, the petitioner for a special permit for the Dollar Tree sign at 1504 Northampton St., requested another continuation of a public hearing. The Planning Board agreed with the continuation until the next meeting on January 11.
Another proposal that was brought to the Planning Board was introduced by Councilor Linda Vacon that new home construction in a residential zone have 50 percent or more living space. She proposed that new construction require a special permit from the City Council if the homes plans reflect that it will have 50 percent or less living space.
She said the reason that she filed the order was due to a new build on County Road. “If you take a ride down County Road, you will see construction going on that looks like a garage. It has a very high bay and two other bays and is, at this point, partially constructed,” she explained.
She said she reached out to the Building Commissioner, and he shared that the “state law only requires 80 percent to 20 percent living space” and added that up to 80 percent can be garage space and is still considered a single-family residence. Vacon said she had never seen a house built like this in the city since she lived in Holyoke. “I’m asking the Planning Board to look this over and see what seems reasonable and comparable in other communities so that we would see as perhaps more consistent general understandings when people go to a building permit in residential agriculture,” she said.
Planning Board Secretary Kate Kruckemeyer asked Vacon if the zoning text change proposal was only for an R1A “because the text just said in a residential zone, which sounds like a lot more.” She verified with Vacon that she was just asking for an RA.
Based on what Vacon proposed, the Planning Board decided more research would have to be done on their part to gather more information and agreed to continue the public hearing until Jan. 25.
To view the meeting in its entirety please call 322-5575 for a video or audio recording.