Rob Levesque at the hearing for A. Duie Pyle expansion, with Greg Seifert of Geis Construction and Facilities Director Timothy A. Koch in rear. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – The Planning Board granted a special permit Tuesday to A. Duie Pyle, Inc. at 66 Ampad Road and 211 Servistar Industrial Way for the construction of a transfer/distribution building, maintenance building and associated site improvements to support an existing industrial warehousing operation. A. Duie Pyle is a Northeast transportation and logistics provider based in West Chester, PA offering solutions for LTL, Truckload, Custom Dedicated and Warehousing, according to their website.
Rob Levesque of R. Levesque Assoc. appeared on behalf of the client at the public hearing which was continued from Dec. 18. Levesque said they have received a conditional permit from the Conservation Commission, regarding a turtle mortality avoidance plan for the Eastern box turtle habitat in the neighboring wetlands. He said accommodations will be made in the form of silt fences for the turtles during construction in their mating season from April 15 through Oct. 15, and the site will be monitored closely by the state Endangered Species Program. Levesque also came back with a trip generation analysis for truck traffic generated by the expansion, prepared by the Chief Operating Office of A. Duie Pyle. He said the facility generates 148 trips per day, and the expansion would be up to 108 new trips.
“Generally speaking, they will be well below that,” Levesque said, adding that the figure for new trips was based on average use at similar-sized facilities, but not this facility. At the last meeting, A. Duie Pyle Facilities Director Timothy A. Koch said it may take them four or five years to get to 108.
Levesque also said the truck traffic all goes in the same direction, coming in on Arch and Lockhouse, and going out on Servistar.
Planning Board member John Bowen said during a visit to the site, he had seen signs of people riding quads in the proposed construction site next to the wetlands, and asked if there would be a fence. Levesque said a fence is proposed around the perimeter.
Koch agreed that it is a liability issue for them. “We’ll manage it as best we can,” he said, adding that they put up signs when they bought the property. “Along with being neighborly, we don’t want to see anyone hurt,” Koch said.
Planning Board chairman William Carellas asked if anyone from the public wanted to speak for or against the proposed expansion. City Advancement Office Joe Mitchell came forward to speak in favor. Mitchell called A. Duie Pyle a good corporate steward and neighbor, who he said has had this plan in place for a number of years.
Mitchell also said the turtles were a factor during the construction of the solar fields on Southampton Road, and mitigating steps were taken and monitored during the construction season there.
No other member of the public spoke for or against the project, and the Planning Board voted unanimously in favor of the special permit.
After the meeting, Koch said they had started down the road toward expansion in 2014, but called a time out because the economy softened.
