WESTFIELD – The Zoning, Planning & Development Committee discussed pending zoning ordinance last night with city officials as the committee prepares for the 2014 City Council session.
The committee members, veteran Councilor David A. Flaherty, who serves as chairman, as well as new Councilor Dan Allie and Cindy Harris, voted to remove motions and pending ordinances which are no longer “relevant or that do not have an advocating councilor available.”
The committee discussed the Elm and Arnold streets intermodal project with City Advancement Officer Jeff Daley who said the item is now redundant because the City Council approved the Elm Street Urban Renewal Plan which also addresses development of a transportation facility. The members will request the full City Council tonight to remove that item from their committee.
The board will also recommend removing two other agenda items, a zone change for a variety store on Little River Road and a site plan and stormwater management plan for a lodging house at 431 Russell Road.
Community Development Director Peter J. Miller Jr., said the items were approved by the City Council last summer as part of the council’s License Committee review of the project and could be removed from committee without further action.
Principal Planner Jay Vinskey said the zone change, initiated by former Ward 5 Councilor Richard E. Onofrey Jr., last year, is not needed and does not help the property owner,
Onofrey appeared before the Planning Board last July at a public hearing on the zone change for the convenience store located at 397 Little River Road and formerly known as Carmel Farms. The current owner requested Onofrey to sponsor the request of the change because the property is currently a split zone parcel. The front is zoned Residence A and the rear of the parcel is zoned Rural Residential.
Onofrey said that he looked at the city GIS maps and to him it appeared that the line of demarcation between the two zones passed through the building. The owner had approached him requesting the zone change prior to Onofrey looking at the zoning maps.
“The owner would be more comfortable to have it zoned Commercial A,” Onofrey said at the July hearing.
Vinskey said the store is currently a non-conforming, pre-existing use in Residence A, but would also be non-conforming in the Commercial A Neighborhood Commercial District which limits the store area to 750-square feet. The store is currently 1,777-square feet in area. Vinskey said the owner does not need the zone change because he can seek a special permit through the Zoning Board of Appeals
Miller said the 90-day action period following the June public hearing, during which the council needed to act has expired and that the property owner would have to initiate the zone change process anew.
The committee members will keep two pending items, review of a pending solar farms ordinance and an ordinance to allow flag lots. Vinskey and Miller have been working on both of those issues and the committee requested further information before those issues go back to the full City Council.
