City Council - Zoning Committee

City of Chicopee City Council Zoning Committee Approved 5-17-2018 Members Shane Brooks, Chair James Tillotson, Vice Chair Fred Krampits Frank Laflamme Jerry Roy Stan Walczak George Balakier MINUTES April 26, 2018 The following are the minutes of a public hearing held Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 6:30 PM in the City Council Chambers, Fourth Floor, City Hall Annex, 274 Front Street, Chicopee, MA 01013. Members Present Brooks, Tillotson, Krampits, Laflamme, Roy, Walczak, Balakier Members Absent: Also Present: Dan Garvey (Asst. City Solicitor), Lee Pouliot (Planning Director) The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM In compliance with the Open Meeting Law the Chairman asked if anyone in the audience was recording the meeting. Hearing none the meeting continued. Item #1 Zone Change application from Industrial & Residence A & B to Industrial for 1.9 acres of property located at 30 Buckley Blvd; purpose – creating uniform zoning for the parcel which has been an industrial use property since 1900 and taxed as in industrial use property. Applicant – Buckley Property Investments, LLC, Adam W. Brady, Manager, 30 Buckley Blvd., Chicopee, MA 01013. Attorney Robert J. Lefebvre was present he stated this is a property that always has been industrial use it’s part of the Peals Brewery facility. He stated looking at the zoning maps there’s a sliver in that little zone of residence A and a little sliver by the driveway of residence B. He thinks it’s just a weird anomaly of how the zoning maps got arranged. He stated it suggested we file a zone application to make it uniform zone to all industrial and that was the purpose of the application. Lee Pouliot stated that on the last Planning Board meeting the board did not have a quorum so we could not make a recommendation. He stated from a staff respective regardless of whatever type of project happens here, this is cleaning up some inconsistent zoning in that area. 1 Councilor Tillotson asked do you know what he’s going to do with this building. Attorney Robert Lefebvre answered currently it’s used as distribution of pet food and it’s an intent to file an application for a medical marijuana dispensary. Councilor Laflamme motion to approve with restrictions – Councilor Brooks 2nd the motion – motion passed. Committee vote 7 – 0 favorable Item #2 Home Occupation application at 222 McCarthy Ave. for the purpose of tax preparation. Applicant – Lena Alekseyenks, 222 McCarthy Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. Applicant was present she stated that she sees a lot of people struggling so she would like to be a helper for the local community. She stated that she would like to use her house as her home office. Councilor Tillotson was concerned about the parking. Lena Alekseyenks stated that she lives at the end of the street with only eight houses behind her. She stated that she has a six car driveway and it would be appointment. Public Input Lois Gagne, 240 McCarthy Ave., stated she lives two doors away. She stated she was concerned about the parking. She stated if you park cars on both sides of the road you couldn’t get a car through there. Lena Alekseyenks stated she will not have any employee’s and it will only be her. She stated she has a six car driveway and will only have one customer at a time there. Lois Gagne stated that when the taxes are being done in January and February, snow is another issue that makes the road even smaller. Councilor Laflamme stated that we put the parking as part of the restrictions. Councilor Tillotson stated that it’s made clear that she’ll tell her customers to park in the driveway. Lena Alekseyenks stated that she has a day job and she will only do the taxes in the evenings. Councilor Walczak asked if her business will be year round. Lena Alekseyenks answered only in tax season. Restrictions No on-street parking. Driveway of license holder only Councilor Tillotson motion to approve with restrictions – Councilor Brooks 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 7 – 0 favorable Item #3 Special Permit application under section 275-51.1 purpose – membrane covered structure located at 248 Fletcher Cir. Applicant – Emerson Grant, 248 Fletcher Cir., Chicopee, MA 01020. 2 Applicant was present he stated that the structure has been there since 1998. He stated that he has his boat in there, some shelving, gardening things and a little bit of overflow from the shed. Lee Pouliot stated it meets all requirements and setbacks. Emerson Grant stated that it is heavily secured to the ground so it won’t blow away. He stated that back then when he bought the structure it came with five sixteenths aircraft cable and an anchor system that goes through the macadam and it’s secured at four points. Councilor Tillotson asked if there were any flammables in there. Emerson Grant answered no flammables. Restrictions Permit to run with land No flammables inside Councilor Roy motion to approve – Councilor Brooks 2nd the motion – motion passed. Committee vote 7 – 0 favorable Item #4 Councilor Laflamme motion to approve the minutes of March 22, 2018 – Councilor Brooks 2nd the motion – motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 6:53 PM 3