Town of West Springfield, MA - Planning Board Minutes 6/17/09

7:00 p.m. (7:02 p.m.) – Attorney Richard Sypek (Zoning Ordinance Amendment) – Amend Table 9-1, Off-Street Parking Standards, to create a new parking standard for the use “Appliance Store” with a parking ratio of 1 space per 700 square feet of gross floor area.

Attorney Sypek representing Manny Rovithis, owner of Manny’s TV and Appliance Stores, explained the request for the Zoning Ordinance amendment. The property is located at 1380-1406 Elm Street and the building is 35,000 square feet. This building was previously used as a furniture store and Raymour and Flanagan purchased it. In 2003 they planned to expand the existing building and requested a new item in the Zoning Ordinance for furniture stores to allow parking at 1 space per 750 square feet, instead of 1 space per 200 square feet of retail. In the end, Raymour did not expand the store, but moved across the street to a new building. The zoning and parking is compliant for a furniture store.

Manny’s relocated to West Springfield in 2008 with a parking requirement at 1 space per 200 square feet for a retail use needing 175 parking spaces, which do not exist on the site. There are 106 spaces on the site. Manny would like to amend the Zoning Ordinance with a new definition for large appliance stores, including a definition for what constitutes a large appliance store, and request one parking space per 700 square feet of an appliance store. Attorney Sypek said they have been working with the Town Planner to come up with a better definition of large appliance stores. The ordinance would apply to retail establishments containing greater than 15,000 square feet and selling at least 50 percent volume of products that are major appliances. Attorney Sypek read the definition of major appliances.

Attorney Sypek noted at the Wilbraham store location, on peak hours on Saturday the store has 17 cars in the parking lot. They took traffic counts in March of 2009 in West Springfield, and again the count was 17 cars on peak best day. One parking space per 700 square feet of retail would fit the store easily. The original traffic study was done for Raymour and Flanagan in 2003 and 2004 with the same analysis that they do not need a lot of parking. These are establishments with large showrooms and an inventory of big-ticket items that customers shop for every five to ten years. There is plenty of parking on site for a retail use in the future.

Katie asked if Attorney Donahue has reviewed the definition of large appliance store? Richard said no, he has not because he is on vacation. Richard recommended continuing the hearing to the next meeting to hear if Attorney Donahue has an opinion on this matter. If the Board were to accept to concept, then the hearing could be closed. The ordinance subcommittee is meeting on July 8 and the Council will meet again on July 20^th and will take action at that time.

Mr. Angus Rushlow, District #1 Councilor, said he is on the Ordinance Subcommittee and they have not had a problem with Manny’s and he was not worried about changing the bylaw for this use.

Mr. David Katz, Chairman of the Commission on Disabilities said this would not change the requirement for handicap parking. And Mr. Katz spoke as a resident of Elm Street and said Manny’s has had no impact on the traffic in that area.

7:05 p.m. (7:23 p.m.) - George Martin Jr. (Site Plan Review) – for the construction of a 3,000 square foot office building with associated parking and site improvements at the property known as 57 Norman Street in the Business B-1 (BB-1) zoning district.

Mr. Marc Shute, representing the applicants, explained the plans for the Norman Street project. Mr. Shute said the applicants own two abutting parcels at 59 and 61 Norman Street. An auto body business abuts the property to the south and the two businesses to the northeast. Mr. Martin owns all northwest land.

Mr. Shute said the applicant proposes to cut out 8,600 square feet of land under a Form A Application. The proposed building would take 35 percent of the lot and would be a one-story building. The garage area would store oil trucks with a small business office area in the front. The rear of the lot would be graded in a northeasterly direction and catch basins for a 100-year storm would be at the high point of the swale and the catch basin would flow into the street. Parking for the office is one space per 300 square feet of office space. The office is 750 square feet so they would need two and a half spaces, but they are providing three spaces in the rear. There would be a one-way exit around the building for the trucks to exit the site. The trucks leave the site at 7:00 a.m. and do not return until 5:00 or 5:30 at night. Parking will accommodate six oil trucks. Currently, Mr. Martin has four trucks.

Mr. Shute explained the landscaping in the front and also by the detention swale and said they would provide a landscape easement on the northern side and if the property were sold to someone else, Mr. Martin would have to landscape. Mr. Shute explained the sedimentary and erosion control plan for the site.

Frank asked why they were splitting off 10 feet in the back of the property? Richard said splitting off the 10 -foot piece of land in the rear was a recommendation of the Building Commissioner to provide lot width requirements for the middle lot.

Aldo asked if Mr. Martin thought about expanding his fleet in the future? Mr. Martin said he might tear down the house and make all one lot in the future. Aldo asked if the turning radius was all right, and Mr. Shute said it was all set and was checked with a template. Employees can park cars inside the garage when the trucks are out.

Frank asked how they operate the business now? Mr. Martin said the trucks are outside the two family house now. Richard noted an office is not allowed to operate in a two-family residential property.

Mr. Shute reviewed comments received from town departments. There would be no dumpster necessary for this business. Trees and shrubs are shown on the plan and elevation plan with three garage doors and a single door for the office area. Six wall pack lights are shown. Richard said they would need to show a typical wall pack with specifications. In the past, this type of project poses issues with landscaping and lighting with the neighbors. The thirty-foot separation between all driveways needs to be shown on the plan.

Richard said the DPW requires the sidewalks be constructed from concrete, not asphalt. Mr. Shute said he would add detail to the plan. Richard said the interior drainage locations need to be shown on the floor plan and the DPW needs to know where they are tying into the sanitary sewer system.

Mr. Shute said the office would not be open to the public and they will use erosion control blankets so the swale could become vegetated. The blankets protect the water quality swale. Mr. Shute read additional comments from DPW and addressed the issues and said he would show all items on the plan.

Katie read the comments from the Health Department regarding restricting the vehicle trips, reducing idling time, and implementing strict pollution control measures. Mr. Shute said there is a MDC trap for oil spills and the trucks will be out delivering oil, not running on site or filling at this site.

Ms. Fortier noted concerns with the large trucks on this road and the 39 children using Norman Street daily to get to the Memorial School. Mr. Shute said the trucks leave at 7:00 in the morning and are back at 5:30 p.m. in the evening, so they would not be in the area when the children are walking on the street. It is 1400 feet to the nearest school from the site.

Mr. David Katz, chairman of the Commission on Disabilities asked if the business office would be open to the public to accept payments? Mr. Martin said most of the customers mail their payments in or call with credit card information. No customers come to the office.