Planning Board

Chicopee Planning Board Voting Record and Minutes The Planning Board of the City of Chicopee public hearing for Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 7 PM RiverMills Senior Center, Classroom 30, 5 West Main St., Chicopee, MA 01020 Meeting was brought to order at 7:00PM. Planning Board Attendance Member Present Absent Excused Michael Sarnelli, Chair X Cynthia Labrie, Vice Chair X Eric Oulette, Clerk X Tom Reniewicz X Rajesh Sanghvi X John Paquette Jr. X Andrew Desrochers X Planning Department Staff Attendance Title Name Present Absent Excused Director Lee Pouliot X Development Manager James Dawson X Assistant Planner Patrick Collins X Associate Planner Nick Kiser X ITEM 1a: Board Elections all members are eligible for all positions - Chair Motion to nominate Michael Sarnelli was made by Cynthia Labrie and seconded by Thomas Reniewicz. Michael Sarnelli accepted the nomination for Chair. Vote was 7-0 to approve. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Michael Sarnelli X Cynthia Labrie X Eric Oulette X Tom Reniewicz X Rajesh Sanghvi X John Paquette Jr. X Andrew Desrochers X ITEM 1b: Board Elections all members are eligible for all positions - Vice Chair Motion to nominate Cynthia Labrie was made by Michael Sarnelli and seconded by Eric Oulette. Cynthia Labrie accepted the nomination for Vice Chair. Vote was 7-0 to approve. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Michael Sarnelli X Cynthia Labrie X Eric Oulette X Tom Reniewicz X Rajesh Sanghvi X John Paquette Jr. X Andrew Desrochers X ITEM 1c: Board Elections all members are eligible for all positions - Clerk Motion to nominate Andrew Desrochers was made by Michael Sarnelli and seconded by Rajesh Sanghvi. Andrew Desrochers accepted the nomination for Clerk. Vote was 7-0 to approve. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Michael Sarnelli X Cynthia Labrie X Eric Oulette X Tom Reniewicz X Rajesh Sanghvi X John Paquette Jr. X Andrew Desrochers X ITEM 1d: Board Elections all members are eligible for all positions - PVPC Representative. Motion to nominate Eric Oulette was made by Michael Sarnelli and seconded by Thomas Reniewicz. Eric Oulette accepted the nomination for PVPC Representative. Vote was 7-0 to approve. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Michael Sarnelli X Cynthia Labrie X Eric Oulette X Tom Reniewicz X Rajesh Sanghvi X John Paquette Jr. X Andrew Desrochers X ITEM 2: Definitive Site Plan for the construction of a Self-Storage Facility and office with associated stormwater and site improvements. Location: Shawinigan Dr. Assessor Map 187, Parcel 1B. Applicant: Patriot Holdings, LLC. 4007 Dean Martin Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89103 Notes: Jeffrey Lebeau of Sherman and Frydryk presented the site plans to the Board. Mr. Lebeau explained that the site plans had been revised from the Preliminary Site Plans that the Board approved with conditions on February 6, 2025. Mr. Lebeau reviewed the SPRAC comments with the Board and noted that the Applicant currently had a Special Permit before the City Council since the original permit had expired. He also noted that based on a comment from the Planning Department, the Applicant would apply for a Variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals for a driveway offset. Staff also noted that the Planning Department was adding one additional comment regarding revised site plans being submitted and approved prior to the issuance of Building Permits. The comment was inadvertently left off the original comment report. The Board discussed the plans and voted to accept the additional comment from the Planning Department and approve the Definitive Site Plans with Conditions. . Motion to approve was made by Cynthia Labrie and seconded by Thomas Reniewicz. Vote was 7-0 to approve the Definitive Site Plans with Conditions. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Michael Sarnelli X Cynthia Labrie X Eric Oulette X Tom Reniewicz X Rajesh Sanghvi X John Paquette Jr. X Andrew Desrochers X ITEM 3a: Site Plan with Waivers - Waiver of Section 2-23C(3) – number of shade trees Location: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, 149 Plainfield St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Applicant: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, Inc. Same address. Notes: Staff explained that the Applicant was interested in presenting the Site Plans even though the Board was going to have to table their decision to their June 5, 2025 hearing due to the necessity for the Conservation Commission to hear the project first as a portion of the work for the project lies within the Riverfront Area of the Connecticut River. Josh Lee Smith and Nikita Shugrue presented the site plans on behalf of the Applicant. They explained that the Applicant had obtained a Variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals for the height of the proposed high bay freezer building. They also explained the major improvements to the stormwater system that is currently overburdened. Mr. Smith and Mr. Shugrue reviewed the SPRAC comments with the Board. The Board tabled the Site Plans along with the requested Waivers to their June 5, 2025 hearing. Motion to table to June 5, 2025 meeting was made by Eric Oulette and seconded by John Paquette Jr. Vote was 7-0 to Table. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Michael Sarnelli X Cynthia Labrie X Eric Oulette X Tom Reniewicz X Rajesh Sanghvi X John Paquette Jr. X Andrew Desrochers X ITEM 3b: Site Plan with Waivers – Waiver of 23C(4) – required interior trees - Location: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, 149 Plainfield St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Applicant: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, Inc. Same address. Notes: See notes from Item 3a above. ITEM 3c: Site Plan with Waivers – Waiver of 23C(7) – planting areas within parking lots - Location: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, 149 Plainfield St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Applicant: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, Inc. Same address. Notes: See notes from Item 3a above. ITEM 3d: Site Plan with Waivers – Waiver of 24A-D – Pre-Application process - Location: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, 149 Plainfield St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Applicant: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, Inc. Same address. Notes: See notes from Item 3a above. ITEM 3e: Site Plan with Waivers – Preliminary Site Plan Waiver for the construction of a new high bay freezer building and associated stormwater management and site improvements. Location: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, 149 Plainfield St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Applicant: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, Inc. Same address. Notes: See notes from Item 3a above. ITEM 3f: Site Plan for the construction of a new high bay freezer building and associated stormwater management and site improvements. Location: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, 149 Plainfield St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Applicant: Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, Inc. Same address. Notes: See notes from Item 3a above. ITEM 4: ANRs – There were no ANR plans to act on. ITEM 5: Minutes from April 3, 2025. Motion to approve was made by Thomas Reniewicz and seconded by Cynthia Labrie. Vote was 7-0 to approve. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Michael Sarnelli X Cynthia Labrie X Eric Oulette X Tom Reniewicz X Rajesh Sanghvi X John Paquette Jr. X Andrew Desrochers X ITEM 6: New Business/Discussion Notes: Staff noted that there were Zone Change applications on the June meeting agenda. ITEM 7: Adjournment next meeting is scheduled for June 5, 2025. Motion to adjourn was made by Eric Oulette and seconded by Michael Sarnelli. Vote was 7-0 to approve. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Michael Sarnelli X Cynthia Labrie X Eric Oulette X Tom Reniewicz X Rajesh Sanghvi X John Paquette Jr. X Andrew Desrochers X Meeting adjourned at 8:29PM