City
boards will hold public hearings Tuesday (April 14) at 6:30 p.m. on two
zone-change requests for auto sales and one for a multifamily residence, all on
Whiting Farms Road.
Follow
along as live coverage of the hearings at City Hall is posted in the comments
section under this story.
The
City Council Ordinance Committee and the Planning Board hearings are holding
the hearings.
Two of
the three zone-change petitions are for a vacant nearly 19 acres across from
Autumn and Lynch drives owned by the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department (HGE).
The public hearings on those petitions -- from Gary Rome Hyundai to build a
dealership and from residents seeking a residential use -- began March 31.
Neighbors
oppose converting the site to an auto dealership for the same reasons they
fought other businesses that showed interest in the property over the years,
Walmart and Lowe's Home Improvement. Their concerns are excessive traffic and
construction of a business structure on what is now a meadow will diminish
their quality of life.
But
others said the city needs the jobs and tax revenue to come from developing the
property.
The
third zone-change petition is to allow the sale of used cars at of JP's
Restaurant & Sports Bar at 200 Whiting Farms Road. This will be the opening
of the public hearing on that petition.
Gary Rome Hyundai wants to
build a dealership on the HGE site. To do that, he needs to get the property
zoned Business Highway and from the current Business General, which prohibits
an auto dealership.
Gary Rome Hyundai currently
is at 1000 Main St. here and Rome said that
business would stay open regardless of whether he is able to build a new one.
Rome's plan to buy
the property from HGE for $2,050,000 is contingent on getting the zone change.
The
March 31 hearing lasted more than two and a half hours and was moved from City
Council Chambers upstairs to the auditorium at City Hall to accommodate the
large crowd.
Most
people in the crowd voiced support for the Gary Rome Hyundai plan over
the residential one.
Rome said the
planned $10 million dealership would produce 50 new full-time jobs and some
part-time positions on the site.
If he
secures the zone change, Rome
would need to seek a special permit from the City Council to run an auto
dealership on the site, officials said.
Also
targeting the HGE site are residents who want the zoning designation of the
property changed to a use called RM-20. That stands for Multi-Family Residence
at 20 units per acre. The uses are generally housing with limited commercial
uses like bed and breakfast, funeral home, hospital and nursing home, Assistant
City Solicitor Kara Cunha said.
The
petition seeking the RM-20 use lists former city councilor Helen F. Norris as
lead proponent.
Of the
100 or so people at the hearing March 31, among speakers who supported the Gary Rome proposal and praised
Rome were Mayor Alex B.
Morse, Kathleen G. Anderson, president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of
Commerce, former mayor Martin Dunn, Gary Rome employees and
owners of other businesses. They said the plan would add jobs and turn a vacant
property into a tax-paying entity.
"I'm
here to express my full support for the expansion of Gary Rome Hyundai," Morse
said.
Norris
was among only three residents who urged a residential use for the property,
saying an auto dealership would hurt homeowners' property values.
"Just
because he's a great guy" doesn't merit Rome getting a zone change,
Norris said.
One
option for the Ordinance Committee and the Planning Board will be to close the
public hearings on the Rome and residents' zone-change petitions and then vote
recommendations on those petitions. Another option is to have the hearings
continue on another date if additional information is needed.
Whatever
the Ordinance Committee and Planning Board decide are just recommendations.
That advise is among factors the full City Council will consider in voting
whether to grant or reject the zone-change petitions.
Regarding
200 Whiting Farms Road, James P. Lavelle Jr., of the family run JP's
Restaurant, told The Republican and MassLive.com last month he wants the option
to sell one or two used cars at the popular eatery. He is seeking a zone change
to Business Highway from the current Business General.
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