WESTFIELD – The Planning Board voted last week to approve an 11-lot, Northwest Road subdivision, the third subdivision brought before the board this year.
Subdivision approval was a routine review process for the Planning Board until the Great Recession which brought that type of project to a halt because of the substantial initial investment needed to finance the development of the required infrastructure, money banks were reluctant to loan.
The Planning Board approved the 10-lot Bent Tree subdivision off Montgomery Road in May, the first time many of the current board members participated in that process. The board is also reviewing a controversial 11-lot project, the Golden Acres Estates, which is on the Southampton/Westfield border.
That project is before the Planning Board as part of a court settlement after the board denied an earlier version of the project because access to the project is through Southampton. The only access through Westfield is Old Long Pond Road which is a private way.
Residents of that road are also part of the Land Court arbitrated resolution which would keep Old Long Pond Road closed to Golden Acres traffic.
The proposed Angelica Estates subdivision would be developed on land near Little River, with the subdivision road to the east side of Northwest Road across the street from Quarry Drive.
The proposal of the preliminary subdivision plan review, which is not mandatory, is to allow members of the Planning Board to identify concerns and issues which could slow or derail the review of the definitive subdivision plan.
The details of the subdivision plan were presented to the board by land-use consultant Rob Levesque of R. Levesque Associates on behalf of developer Joseph Kelly of West Springfield.
The subdivision property is nearly 28 acres in area and is zoned for rural residential usage. The property is currently owned by Joseph and Mary Harbey of Lindbergh Boulevard according to records on the City Assessor’s website.
Carl Vincent, a member of the Planning Board said there is concern about lots 1 and 11 because of associated wetlands. The planners also requested that a wooded buffer be preserved to protect abutting neighbors.
The lots, which need a minimum area of 40,000 square feet, will have access to city water, but will have on-site septic disposal.
The developer will submit a definitive subdivision plan, which may be amended based upon the discussion with the Planning Board members during the preliminary review of the subdivision project.
