Linda Manor neighbors raise concerns about added facility in Northampton
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NORTHAMPTON - Residents who live along Haydenville Road in Leeds urged the Planning Board Thursday night to shoot down a proposal for a new assisted living facility, saying the structure would dwarf their houses and would be out of harmony with their neighborhood.
"This is an intrusion upon our neighborhood on a large scale," said John Lutz, of 291 Haydenville Road, adding that it is "going to dramatically change the neighborhood that we have there."
John Chakalos, of Chakalos Investments Inc. in Windsor, Conn., has proposed a new 90-bed assisted living and Alzheimer's community called Zoe Life Retirement Community, at 331 Haydenville Road, next to the Linda Manor Extended Care Facility. He also wants to expand Linda Manor, at 349 Haydenville Road, by a dozen beds.
Most of the focus Thursday centered on the Zoe Life facility. The three-story, 76,400-square-foot building would be developed on a 10.5-acre site just south of Linda Manor. That facility, which would cost between $10 million and $15 million, would be leased to Berkshire Healthcare in Pittsfield, which also operates Linda Manor.
The board took no vote on a site plan and special permit for either project Thursday, and continued a public hearing on the matter until 8 p.m. March 8.
Representatives from Chakalos Investments said they are willing to make several design changes in an effort to address neighbors' concerns.
The biggest of those involved eliminating a new access point and driveway off Route 9 in favor of using the existing Linda Manor driveway for both buildings. Under this scenario, the new building might be moved slightly to the east, away from existing homes.
Neighbors said they support that plan, though it didn't change their overall opinion that the project is not a good fit for the area.
The development team also outlined a plan to buffer abutting properties from noise and light with extensive landscaping, planting nearly 200 trees along property lines and throughout parking areas.
Two varieties of evergreen trees, between 8 and 12 feet tall, would be planted, said David Paine of Plan it Green Landscape Architecture.
"We feel confident that this screening will do an effective job from day one," said Paine.
Though representatives contend the project would have minimal impact on Route 9 traffic, Chakalos' plan does call for several traffic mitigation measures, including construction of a new Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus stop on the property, pending PVTA approval, and preferential parking spaces for employees who commute.
None of these proposals was enough to appease neighbors. High on their list of concerns was the water table in the flood-prone area.
Bryan Balicki, an engineer with Sage Engineering in Westfield, said runoff after the project is complete would likely be lower than it is at present. That's because the project calls for a system of catch basins and piping to guide water off the parking areas and funnel it into a nearby stream.
Other concerns expressed by neighbors center around increased traffic and lighting, loss of woodlands and wildlife, a decrease in property values and an overall decrease in their quality of life.
Some questioned the need to build such a large facility at that particular site given there are other areas in the city zoned specifically for that use.
The development team contends that the use does fit with the character of the neighborhood, is within the zoning for the property, and fits both state and local rules that govern residential use.
Planning Board members gave the development team a list of items they'd like to see brought back to the March meeting, including a design with the shared driveway and a change in the location of the parking lot.
Even if those changes work out, member Katharine Baker said the project lacks harmony with the neighborhood.
"I just think it's too big ... it just doesn't go here," she said.
Chairman Stephen Gilson conceded that the size might be a hurdle for the board, though at least two members, Marilyn Richards and Francis Johnson, said that wasn't true for them.
Richards said she could live with the size of the project if many of the changes discussed at the meeting are carried out.
"Improvements can be made to help it fit into the neighborhood, but I'm not as concerned about the overall ambience of it," she said.
Comments
Commuters
"preferential parking spaces for employees who commute"
This is the second story on this subject that has included this phrase. Surely they're trying to reduce traffic by giving better parking spots to employees who carpool? Because this wouldn't do it.
Not just a NIMBY issue
The neighbors who spoke at the meeting are willing to listen to the developer's plans - should the Planning Board approve the new facility, they want certain issues looked at VERY CAREFULLY, most particularly:
--how the new landscaping that is meant to screen the properties can do an effective job, and whether the trees proposed can even survive (as opposed to in some cases, letting the current native trees remain)
--how placing such an enormous structure (roughly fifty times the size of the neighbors' houses, not including new access roads and parking lots) on very wet land will certainly affect where the ground water goes - without proper drainage, the answer is that it will go into the already flood-prone basements surrounding the new building.
I suggest looking at the plans, linked here from the city website, to see the impact on the neighborhood -
http://city.northampton.ma.us:8080/weblink8/0/doc/364090/Electronic.aspx
I think from looking at the design, anyone would agree that in its currently proposed configuration, and with the specific issues mentioned above, most people would have quite a few things to say against it.....that said, those who would be neighbors to this faciltiy were fair and respectful and open to discussion of the development, and it is in the city's hands whether or not it goes ahead...
As a local resident who indeed may find need in the future for such a facility, I agree that having it in town would be a great benefit, but I can literally see from these plans where the residents who will be in its shadow are coming from...if David is going to be neighbors with Goliath, David should make darn sure that Goliath is not going to rush into building his house at the expense of David's ability to live peacfully and safely.....
Linda Manor
Instead perhaps Chakalos Investments should buy the nursing home facility on Bridge Road in Northampton.
Linda Manor
Another case of NIMBY
Maybe the neighbors
will never have need for an assisted living or a caring home for their Alzheimer's loved one. Then, when searching for a caring facility close to home, they will never have to move them 60 miles away. Just because....