WESTFIELD—The proposed Dollar General on Southampton Road went before the planning board last night and in spite of a continuation on the hearing, some residents voiced concerns.
The planning board held a public hearing for a possible Dollar General at 627 Southampton Road last night. The location is the second proposed location on Southampton Road for a Dollar General location, and is roughly across the street from the previous proposal. That previous proposal was denied a special permit by the planning board late last year.
The audience during a portion of the planning board meeting yesterday night
According to Lucien M. DiStefano of Bohler Engineering, who was at the hearing on behalf of the proposed project, the location is on an approximately 1.1 acre parcel on the corner of Egleston Road and Southampton Road, with the parcel being contained within what is currently the Hometown Structures lot on Southampton Road.
The proposal would be for an eventual 7,500 square foot retail location according to the application online, with 30 parking spaces expected and operating hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. In addition, according to Andrew Comollo of Lisciotti Development, who was also at the hearing on behalf of the proposal, the building’s façade has been upgraded from a previous iteration.
The location is in business A zoning, which city planner Jay Vinskey previously said would make the proposal a by-right use of the zoning.
Concerns about the project arose from some residents who voiced worry about traffic at the location. One such neighbor, John DeNardo, Jr., said that he lives across from the proposed development and during the meeting said that traffic in the area could increase and lead to frustration and accidents.
“Do you know how much traffic and business would be in and out of the location in a given day,” DeNardo queried the board.
“The traffic will be overwhelming,” he added.
DeNardo also voiced concern over the traffic and the location because he said that a bus stop was also across the street and tractor trailers also frequently travel the road.
Other neighbors spoke in concern about the traffic, as well, echoing concerns that DeNardo addressed.
According to DiStefano, traffic at the location would be expected to have a total of 29 trips in the peak morning hour, which translated to one new trip every 4 minutes. During peak afternoon time, 52 trips, which translated to one new trip every 2 minutes.
Previously, it was also reported that in a letter within the application to the planning department it was said that “anticipated peak hour vehicles do not meet MassDOT thresholds for further traffic analysis.” MassDOT oversees the area because it is a state road.
Philip McEwan, chair of the planning board, also responded during the discussion. Among his comments was that the proposal is within the business A zoning.
“This is a site plan review, we cannot say no,” he said. “By right they can build a store.”
Ward one city councilor Mary Ann Babinski spoke during the hearing as well, addressing the proposal and urging those there to work with residents regarding their concerns.
“I hope that Dollar General will become a good neighbor like some of the other businesses have. This traffic issue is a very big concern for the people that live near there,” she said.
The planning board opted to have a continuation on the hearing until Sept. 5, as they await final engineering storm water review, Vinskey said. In addition, the board suggested improvements to the landscape and fencing, among other potential changes.
