Jim Wickman and Nathan Oliveri of Boise Cascade, and Rob Levesque of R. Levesque Associates at the public hearing.
WESTFIELD – A public hearing to allow Boise Cascade to extend to a 24-hour operation was held Thursday during the City Council meeting. Rob Levesque of R. Levesque Associates requested an amendment to a City Council special permit regarding the lumberyard at Fowler Street Extension and Union Street, for his client Ronald Schortmann, owner of the property.
The Boise Cascade Company distributes building materials on a wholesale basis to lumberyards, home centers, industrial accounts, and other retail businesses. The Westfield branch, which opened in 1999, is one of 33 across the country. A special permit and tax increment financing package issued by the City Council in 2015 allowed for expansion of the business.
Levesque said after operating on the special permit for one year, the Westfield facility is finding they need to operate beyond midnight, and need to go up to 24 hours. He said the company is working with the Planning Board regarding operating issues, including noise and light pollution to an abutting property. The Planning Board discussion has been continued to April 4.
At the public hearing, Westfield branch manager Nathan Oliveri described the business model at Boise Cascade, which he said results in last minute decision making. As a wholesale distributor servicing retailers, orders come in as late as 2 to 4 p.m. He said the business has changed, with retailers requesting smaller orders, customized shipments and a quicker turnaround. The request for 24-hour operation is to allow for loading of trucks after midnight for early morning delivery.
Council President Brent B. Bean II
Council president Brent B. Bean, II asked if the business had seen this coming.
Oliveri said right now they cut off next day orders at 2 p.m., but in order to compete they need to expand. During the day they are selecting orders to ship and loading them at night. He said they can’t do both at the same time.
Jim Wickham, the northest regional manager for Boise Cascade said the Westfield plant is limited by the rail lines and the number of trucks that can fit in the property.
Oliveri added that the business currently employs about 100 out of the Westfield facility. He said most of their new hires have been Westfield residents.
Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski asked several questions regarding truck traffic that he said were concerns expressed in three letters he had received from neighboring residents.
Oliveri said that half of their inventory comes in on rail car. The rest is trucked in, and broken down into smaller quantities. He said 100% of orders are trucked out of the property. After midnight, during truck loading, not a lot of trucks would be coming in. He also said the majority of night work would be at the farthest end of the property from the residential area, adjacent to the rail line.
Onyski asked whether a truck currently leaving at 4:30 a.m. could be loaded and leave before midnight.
Oliveri said the DOT regulations say how much time a truck driver can be on the road. The Westfield plant delivers to retailers in Buffalo, NY, Long Island, Cape Cod, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont, all of which are open during daytime hours. “Every limitation, every little restriction that we have prevents us from growing,” Oliveri said.
City Councilor David Flaherty
“This was a huge concern of ours when we voted on this a few years ago. The reason that you have a special permit with limitations is because of all the concerns. I’ve seen some letters in opposition. Union Street is a tough street to drive on. I’m not really in favor of doubling your truck traffic. This is exactly what we talked about when this went through,” said At-large Councilor David Flaherty.
Oliveri responded that there wouldn’t be a doubling of truck volume, and only their own trucks stationed at the facility would be loaded after midnight.
“I’ve heard from residents talking about trucks going down that road shaking their houses. We’ve got to balance business and the neighborhood,” said Ward 1 Councilor Mary Ann Babinski.
“We certainly do understand the concerns. I do have a letter from Councilor Dan Allie in support of the facility. It’s a very clean operation,” Levesque said. Allie was not present at Thursday’s meeting.
Ward 5 Councilor Robert A. Paul, Sr. pointed several times to the lack of analysis and facts presented to the City Council to back up Boise Cascade’s request. Oliveri said they would provide the analysis to the Planning Board when they meet in April.
CINDY HARRIS
At-large Councilor Cindy C. Harris asked if they didn’t get the expansion, whether it would affect jobs they currently have, adding that the Schortmann family has done much for the city.
“It will force us to look at a different facility,” Oliveri said.
At-large Council Stephen Dondley asked whether they had already looked at another facility. Oliveri said they had, and will continue to look, but their preference is to stay at the facility in Westfield. Dondley also asked whether they planned to go seven days a week. Oliveri said no, the business is Monday to Friday, with some Saturday traffic, and closed on Sundays.
Ward 3 Councilor Andrew K. Surprise said he was concerned about the noise issues, but at the same time, the Council approved this location.
“This has been an issue for quite some time. I have a problem with you waiting this long to come before the Council – it’s taken a number of months. The hours of operation are a big deal. The problem for me is noise and lights. We were definitely concerned about the project going there. I’ve been down Union Street at 1 or 2 a.m., and it’s lit up,” Bean said.
“We are working on that. I apologize we haven’t been before you,” Levesque said. He also said that Boise Cascade has come to an agreement with abutter Becky Fisk, who he said was present at the meeting. He added that they have offered to buy her house at above market value, but obviously can’t do that for everyone.
During the open hearing on behalf of the request, Fisk came forward and said her biggest concern was the lights. She said she has room darkening shades on her windows, can’t leave the windows open in the summer, and can’t enjoy her yard. She said she has come to a happy medium with the company, after speaking to the owner several times, and now dealing with Levesque. “We’re getting along,” she said.
JOE MITCHELL
City advancement officer Joseph Mitchell said that 1 ½ years ago, Boise Cascade had committed $6.6 million to the facility, but spent $8 million, bringing in 19 new jobs in less than a year.
Mitchell said he has worked with Oliveri and Wickman when there’s a problem.
“There’s been a change in their business that requires 24 hours. They are not in full operation, the phone stops ringing at 2 p.m.,” Mitchell said. He said the property they want to use at night is more than two football fields away from residential areas. He also noted that the property is zoned Industrial A.
“Ron Schortmann is taking mitigating steps. It has taken awhile, but they wanted to first remedy issues with the Planning Board. I ask that you support this measure,” Mitchell said.
One of the neighbors speaking against the expansion was John M. Sinico of 139 Union St.
The lights through our windows are on all night long. They make noise at 4:30 a.m. – we wake up to that,” Sinico said. He said that as vice president of Union Park Condos, he was speaking on behalf of most people. “Why do they have to be open 24 hours? When they shut down at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, the lights don’t go on until Monday,” he said.
The Public Hearing was continued to April 2 on a motion by Onyski.
“The trains are bad enough. I don’t mind it during the day; they have a right to make a living. Not 24 hours,” Sinico added after the meeting.
