WESTFIELD – The Westfield Planning Board March 16 considered a change of use at 845 Airport Industrial Park Road.
Applicant Kevin Barbieri is seeking to purchase the property on Airport Industrial Park Road, currently an alarm company, and relocating the offices for his insulation business there.
Barbieri said his business works on job sites in several states, and the location would be office only plus storage of safety equipment for staging, primarily ladders. He said excess material from job sites would also be stored there temporarily, and used on new job sites.
In response to questions, Barbieri said there would be no liquids stored on site, only temporary storage of excess fiberglass insulation materials which would be removed for other jobs. He also said he has never used extruded foam insulation in his business, which is in its sixteenth year, and does not intend to start.
Barbieri said he will not be making changes to the site. “The way it’s set up and the footprint is perfect for my needs,” he said, adding that his business is currently located in a commercial property in Holyoke with tenants that has a prospective buyer. He said he hopes to get out of the rental business, and downsize “to do one thing.”
“You wouldn’t be able to recognize it as an insulation company, just offices,” Barbieri said.
With no public comments, City Planner Jay Vinskey said the hearing should be continued while the board waits for comments from the Board of Health and Water Commission, as the site is on the aquifer. He said there were no comments on the proposal from Engineering and the Conservation Commision. “The ordinance requires a 35 day wait if I don’t get any information. The clock will run out before the next meeting,” Vinskey said.
Barbieri said he had time, and the hearing was continued to April 5.
