Good evening. It is, uh, seven o'clock on Tuesday, February 18th. And we are calling the, um, Knights Planning Board meeting to order. Uh, first on the agenda is public participation on any matter, not subject to a public hearing. Uh, anybody in the audience want to speak on anything in the city, um, not subject to public hearing. Uh, next is, um, review and approval of, I believe We have one set out There Our, uh, February 4th, um,
uh, minutes meetings, meeting minutes. Excuse me. I'll make a motion to accept a meeting minutes for February 4th. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Okay. Um, We do not have any, uh, ars. So we are on to public hearings. Um, As I do every meeting today, we have zoning special permits, site plan approvals. Applicant's proposal board members will begin asking questions.
We will then invite the public to ask questions of fact. We will have a separate time, uh, for the public to speak in favor of or speak against the motions where we recognize you. Please come to the microphone, give your name and address, and direct all questions and comments to the board, not the applicant. Purpose of our public hearings to allow the board members to collect evidence and testimony supporting or contradicting the published legal findings. We are required to make an order to approve or deny an application. We cannot act outside the bounds of the zoning ordinances, nor the stormwater ordinance were also sought. Uh, please understand public hearings are not a community
referendum nor a town meeting. We a we ask you to keep comments civil and positive. Remembering, we're all neighbors working to move Westfield forward. While you are free to express your opinion, ultimately and legally, the board can only deliberate on the findings of fact, not on yours or our personal opinion. First on the agenda is Forest Family Real Estate, LLC for a special permit, Um, for zoning ordinance section three dash 1 77 1 A for a change of building use to Retail contractor Shop at 1 25 Madero Way Zone,
business B and Water Resource it is the applicant here. Yes, Please come forward for this hearing. Uh, the chair recognizes Rich Sooy as the voting member for Jane Mcg, and we'd absent tonight. Hello. Good evening. Mike Petris. I'm professional engineer with Engineering Land Solutions, and I have Jerry Lashway here with me. Mm-hmm. He's project proponent. Um, This is Mill River Slab works we're looking to locate at this facility. Some of you may know, or all of you may know it was previously a shas
or Schwab's Food delivery Service. Um, within that, probably a heavier use than what we're proposing parking wise and traffic. They've had, um, 17 parking spaces on each side of the parking lot. So 34 trucks probably were in service at one time. They have service plugs for 'em. We don't anticipate that much. Overnight parking, let's say, uh, this building itself was built in 1989. It was split out in the seventies under an a and r project. Uh, the uses are similar. They're both business storage.
Um, the actual, there's within the building code and parameters, there's so similar business wise that there's no change in Hazard Group or egress requirements. The only changes we're proposing to the exterior would an improvement on the signage as well as handicap accessibility. There is a ramp proposed to make the building accessible. The interior upgrades would almost mimic the office space that was existing just with handicap upgrades
and functional upgrades remodeled. Um, Mr. Lashway could describe the business to you if you have any questions on the day-to-day operations that are proposed. If the board has any questions on that, Go ahead. Describe. Oh, okay. So, um, so we are a wood manufacturing company. Um, mill River Slab Works is a collaboration of Lashway Lumber and Williamsburg and Ponders Hollow Custom Wood flooring right here in Westfield. Um, so we started this new business to offer another wood product. Um, it's mainly live Edge slabs.
Um, right now we are renting a unit on Blockhouse Road, um, where we have a showroom, and then we had the, we have the live edge slabs on display. So people come in, they can pick out a slab, and then it's more like a retail location, um, for tables and shelves and, and desks and stuff like that. Um, so we hoped, you know, we bought this building in, in hopes that we don't have to rent anymore. And, uh, and we'll have our own location. And I think it would be good to note as well. Uh, some of you may be, or all of you again, may be, um, familiar.
Ponders Hollow has been a business owner in town for 20 years. This September. They have a larger shop on Ponders Hollow Road. So right next to the Highway Department is the, is Ponders Hollow. This is just gonna be a retail department. Retail area. There's not gonna be any sawing or milling or cutting, Uh, like, like very minimal like table saws, skill saws. Um, lots of times people come in and buy a slab from us. They'll ask us to, you know, clean up the edges on it, take the bark off of it, um, the surface, well, actually most of the surface that was
done up at Lashway Lumber. So it's, it's very minimal. It's not like a, like what we do at Ponders Hollow. It's not a big, you know, manufacturing company. Okay. So you're not gonna have a lot of saws in there and duct create a lot of dust and No. All of that. No, no. Any, any dust collection is, you know, a very small unit that we set up on, like a woodworking shop. It's more of a woodworking shop than a manufacturing facility. I've been in your location on a lock house store a couple of times, and so you're basically taking that location and just doing the same thing. Doing the same thing. Yep. So, I mean, you have some forklift operations going on there
As well. Yep, yep. Small forklift, just, No, no, no. Uh, big, uh, belt Sanders or anything like that going on there? Nope. No. Yeah, no. It's a very, very nice location. Very. The showroom itself is Gorgeous. Thank you. Uh, It's, it's, it's got some beautiful, Beautiful, uh, pieces of Wood in there. Thank you. And we actually are retaining that back room on lock House Road. Okay. So we're gonna keep that All right. In hopes that we do most of our manufacturing in that facility there. Um, just kind of to make sure we have enough room. So most of it will be done there. This, we're hoping to be more of like a showroom kind of area. Any other questions? Don't have any,
Any questions from the audience? Anybody want to speak in favor of? Speak against? I just want like ask Larry Lashway, Please come up there. Microphone, state your name. Uh, I'm Larry Lashway. I'm, I'm also part owner in this. I, I just wanted to let you guys know. I, I think it's really, I dunno, important, but it's kind. So we're fourth generation in the family business. Um, both our sons are already in the family business, so fifth generation, which you don't see it every day. I think it, it's kind of a, a kind of a cool thing that was, So you basically, it's all interior.
He just got interior work with a little bit little, um, a DA ramp on the outside. Yes. What we're proposing and the sign up, The sign change The sign. 'cause I don't even think the sign's up anymore. The sign sign will com, um, conform itself. Okay. Yeah, We would do course. So it was just a little unclear to me just from the application, but mm-hmm. Um, 'cause this is a water resource district, if there's any finishing or lacquers or things like that used there, or would that be offite stuff? Um, if, if we do anything, again, it's,
it's such a small amount. Maybe water based. I mean, we, there's no really lacquer finishes anymore. Um, oil base is kind of out, if we do anything, we use like a water based finish. But the goal is that everything will be done at lock house. Um, you know, it's, it's not, it's not that type of a business that it's, it's like a finishing company. It's, it's like extremely minimal if, if we were to do anything there. Um, but most of it is a raw product that we're selling every once in a while. Like maybe, like even, I don't know if you've seen like the river epoxy tables where they're mixing the epoxy
and we're filling like cracks and slabs and stuff like that. Um, but it, it's, it's not like a Where are you Doing those oxy floors? Are you doing those, will you be doing those on the site or you be doing those on lock house? We wanna do everything on lock house. Okay. 'cause it's more of a controlled environment there. Gotcha. Will You be storing anything outside in the parking lot? Nope. Nope. All the slabs and everything will be stored inside? Yeah. Everything will be inside where it's heated. Yep. Right now we have, um, two employees, you know, so maybe two or three cars. If we get a third employee.
Most of the traffic comes in on Saturdays, you know, for that kind of Saturday shopping to look around. Um, we have a draft decision. I will read the draft conditions, um, Special permits, subject property, 1 25 Madero way draft conditions. There are two of them. Number one, prior to undertaking any use or activity below the applicant shall appear before the board for consideration. A, any alteration of the site resulting in new or expanded buildings, tree clearing, paving alterations,
paving alterations, or any increase in impervious surfaces. Or b, a change from the subject per permitted business use as proposed to another specific use, the board reserves the right to require a formal amendment to this approval to consider impose or amend any conditions deemed warranted by the new information. Um, number two, um, no hazardous materials, chemicals, paints, coatings, pesticides, engine oils or fuels shall be stored or used on premise, except
as necessary in the normal conduct of this specific business operation or in household quantities. No synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides shall be applied to the landscape or stored on property at any time. Only non salty icing shall be utilized, uh, which shall be restricted to the minimum amount necessary with sand and ecologically and water quality compatible alternatives utilized. And my apologies, there were three conditions. The third, no outdoor storage of materials is permitted.
Um, Any other conditions we want to impose? You guys good with these conditions? Any other questions you want to ask? Do I hear a motion to close the public hearing? Make a motion to close the public hearing. Second. All those in favor? A aye. All right. Do I hear a motion on the special permit? Make A motion to approve the permit for 1 25 Maderis Drive. Second, Bernie? Yes. Rich. Yes. Ray?
Yes. John? Yes. Phil? Yes. I am a yes. Okay. Um, hold on. We have another thing I gotta read. Uh, Congratulations on getting your special permit approved. As the applicant owner, you cannot utilize the rights granted in this special permit without having met all conditions and requirements of the permit. You have additional steps which must be met before this approval becomes valid per state law. You must wait 20 days
after the day the planning board files a decision with the city clerk. This is a 20 day appeal period, allowing any agreed party to appeal our decision after the appeal period. You must obtain the city clerk's signature on the decision and you must record the special permit with the registry of deeds. This will be spelled out in an instruction sheet mailed, uh, with your decision. Most importantly, you must continue to comply with the terms and conditions of special permit through the life of a permit. If you are not in compliance, city and state code, allow for various means of enforcement should your non-compliance rise to our level.
We reserve the right to revoke a special permit. We appreciate and welcome your willingness to do business in our good city and ask that you cooperate and respect the citizens and its procedures. We look forward to your success and hope to see you again as your business grows and your Needs change. Congratulations guys. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. Have a good night. Good use of the building. Okay, next on the agenda is, and I apologize, Anato of the, of the, of the truck, I apologies for butchering the last name
for a special permit for zoning ordinance section four dash 22, lot size averaging and four dash 24 2 to create two single family building lots from and reduce side yards at zero Herald Avenue parcel 69 dash 70 dash one zone residence B. Um, is the applicant here? Yes. Okay. Um, please come to the microphone. Yes. Good evening everyone. Uh, my name is, Well, hold on. And I told you, um, I have to recuse myself from the vote.
Okay. I have, um, I have a, I have a potential conflict of interest. Okay. So that's gonna leave you with five votes. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I will administer the meeting, but I will not be asking any questions and I will not be voting. Okay. I have a relation, I have a relationship with, um, one of the a neighbors. Ah, okay. Okay. So Yeah. Okay. So if you want to continue with, with five of, because you meet all five. Okay. Uhhuh, or you can, um, wait until the next meeting,
um, where we potentially may have another one or two as well. That's up to you. Okay. Um, yeah, I, I think we, we can, we can proceed. Okay. And I might note that Mr. Chair, Jane and or Cheryl could be a sixth and seven if they mullen. Mm-hmm. And the vote were taken at a subsequent meeting. Right. And speaking of which, um, for this hearing, the chair recognizes Rich Sooy as the voting member for Cheryl Crowley, who is absent tonight. Go
Ahead. Yeah. Okay. Uh, yeah, my name, uh, nato, uh, uh, I require this, this slot and before a requiring, um, uh, we received the approval to connect to, uh, city sewer. And, uh, that this was one, one main issue with, with the lot, uh, Uh, so no one could come up with the idea how to connect to the city server. So, uh, so we got the approval and, uh, uh, as we proceed
with the creating a and r plan, as I understand the frontage, uh, is available and square footage of, uh, that lot is available for two, uh, for two lots. But, um, uh, only, only one thing I, I wasn't aware of. So this like, uh, because this lot not, not square and, uh, there, that is the rule. I'm not remember what is the, uh, paragraph. So 80% of the frontage have
to be created like square in the lot. So, and that's only the issue. Those, uh, squares little overlapping. And we couldn't, uh, do a and r plan. So that's only, only option to ask for, uh, reduction of the frontage. So in this, in this case, we, we can create lots and, and, uh, build single family houses. And, uh, and another thing, what they asking, uh, the reduction of side yard instead of 15 feet,
if you can reduce like to 10 feet. So this, uh, will give little more, uh, room to, uh, to work with to. So this, that's, that's the only reason what, why I'm asking for special permit. If you guys have any questions I can ask. I have a question. Uh, I'm unclear whether, um, 'cause I'm reading the paperwork here and it says documentation, verifying access to public water and sanitary sewer. So you have documentation that says that you are,
can connect to the what city sewer? Uh, uh, I, I submit the, the plan engineering plan with, with the, the application. I think that's, uh, this should be in there. Yeah. There is plan does show sewer connection. Yeah. Uh, to use the infill ordinance, it has to connect to city sewer. So he ends up not being able to connect it can't, couldn't utilize this permit. Yeah. And, uh, uh, confirmation of it. I have just a email, email from, uh, from the, uh,
city engineers and, uh, but they, I, so they, uh, so they send me email. So that plan is approved and uh, you can, you can be connected to the city server. That's always the pressurized system on each lot. Uh, there's going to be, uh, pre, um, how is called this like tank with the pump and will be pumping the, the sewer, uh, because that's like, that's not, not possible to do the gravity because it's slower.
So when we, uh, uh, how has been designed, so from each lot it's gonna be separate pump, uh, pumping up to the hill to the closest, uh, uh, main hole. So that's, that's the what has been approached. Okay. Yeah. If that, if that's the, because I, I was, I was assuming that's been verified, uh, with the engineering about, uh, that approval. If, if, uh, if that wasn't, then we need that, uh, con confirmation.
So if that's only the issue, then we will need continue. So I can provide that documentations if that's not have been provided. Yeah. So there's not city sewer in the street in front, but the plan is, I think it's shown on one of the, one of the drawings, the plan is to have the connection. And apparently that was okayed by DPW. Um, if you wanted to condition that just to belt and suspenders it, you could do that as well. But it is a requirement of the ordinance anyway. So you're saying there's city sewer for both buildings?
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. You can't exercise the infill permit without that. Any other questions? So this one's a little different than that. Normally you, you approach the board to reduce your frontage or area. In this case, he has enough frontage along the lot and enough area to split it into two conforming lots for those purposes. It's just the layout, um, of a square you're supposed to be able to fit in so that you don't get these really obscure ankles. But I'm just looking at a street view of it
and I just, I don't see enough land, enough property for, it almost reminds me when we made the mistake of putting the hallmark houses up on Montgomery Road and they just two big houses on the lot they shouldn't be on. Well, the calculations are there. So it, it conforms to the ordinance in that respect. So Jay, if the calculations are there, why are we getting a special permit? I'm sorry, what? Why is there a special permit application if all the calculations are there? Well, that's part of the review. So it's gonna meet these calculations to come to you.
It's gonna meet the neighborhood average. Maybe I said it wrong it with The property that I see, I don't see two houses fitting in the neighborhood to conform of what's around it. That's, That's the neighborhood. Yeah. That's the lot. That would be Two houses More or less split in front. Yeah. So I mean it's obviously it's the board's discretion, but obviously there are some much smaller lots on that street. Anybody in the audience have a question of fact? Anybody In the audience want to state their opinion?
Please come forward. Good evening. My name's Luke Bushman. I live at seven elsewhere Street. Um, I'm the original owner of the property. Uh, I own the property for about 30 years and we were hoping to give it to our boys. Uh, one boy moved away, the other one couldn't build on it because when we did all the paperwork for it, it was during Covid, so he could not, he couldn't afford to build on the property. So that's when we decided to sell it. We sold it to a contractor. Um, Clark do, um, originally he wanted to do the same thing.
He wanted to build two houses on it. And when he first applied for it, they told him no. Um, but he could build a single family house on it because of where the sewers come out, where the sewers come out. There's, there's nothing on the street until probably the third property on Harold a, that's where the sewer comes out. That's where it ends. And at that point, it was at its max capacity. Nobody could tie into it. My son couldn't tie into it because they had, so they had, the reason the size of
that lot is the size is because they needed septic systems. They needed a septic system for the house. So when Clark applied to get two family, two, two single families like this, they told him no because it was overloaded at the max so he could apply for a permit for it to be zoned for septic. And that's what he did. It was zone septic because they could not tie into the sewer system. He proposed the same thing that you proposed about having it pumped in. And they said it could not be pumped in because it was at the max capacity to where it was,
it was actually denied twice. I don't have an opposition of building a single family home there on a septic system. Um, I am kind of opposed to having two houses on that property. It looks bigger than it actually is. It's not that big of a property where I feel, and some of the other, I shouldn't only be speaking for the neighbors, but, um, you know, this should be kind of crazy to put two houses there. Questions. So just, just for the board's information. So with a connection to city sewer,
that changes the dimensional requirements of the property. So it actually reduces the requirement. Um, So He could by right. Put a duplex there, assuming it connects to city Sewer. But it's been denied twice already to connect to sewer. Well, but I, I'm hearing, and I don't know, but I'm hearing that he has, uh, Yeah, Ability Connect to city sewer. We had Levesque Levesque inspected the sewer several times and came out and said that because of the conduct that was built across the street from that property, that that absolutely maxed out
that line there. Well, again, if you can't connect to city sewer changes everything, but it's not this board's call, it's DPW. So if, if they permit a connection, um, it would allow, it would allow a duplex without any special approval. But it would allow, require that your approval for the two families or the two singles, Uh, Could he do a duplex without septic? Without, with without city store? No, No. They were, Clark Clark was told no because it was, because then you would max out the septic system.
Well, it's lot size thing. So, but, but with, um, with the city sewer, which is what I understand is a proposal, the lot size reduces. So then the answer is yes, he can with With city sewer. Thank, thank you. Thank you. I Can do that. No, it's, So, I, I know this property very well. My brother-in-law lived across the street at 29, and this is not nearly as big as it looks
Laps. I can see one house going there, but I have a real tough time seeing two houses going up here. I visited the site today and, and I'll agree with Mr. Bowen over there. I I was amazed that there was a thought of putting two homes in that, in that lot. So, and it doesn't look like you have cities who are down there. You don't, well, I don't know what's gonna happen there. So, uh, can I ask, uh, Jake, do you, do you have that con confirmation approval from the DPW so we can connect CTS server? Um, I mean I may have,
if it's in the chain of emails, I don't know if it was part of the application. I mean, I think for the board's purposes, your, your condition would be city sewer connection. If and if that can't be met, then This All goes away. Um, Yeah, but this for sure has been, uh, has, has been approved and uh, uh, like, like Luke said, um, because, uh, tried, tried to do the design, but, uh, engineer from engineer different, one engineer can design and see some, uh, some potential and has the different idea.
So that, that's why, uh, my, my engineer come up with the idea, which has been approved. Uh, and uh, before when Levi design system that been, uh, denied, 'cause this was designed not the same way as, uh, uh, as, as, as my engineer designed it. So that, that's why, that's only reason. And uh, uh, and as, as I understand that, and this what it is, so the square footage, it's, uh, allow and it's,
Uh, More than, I think it's supposed to be 10,000 square feet for the, for the lock in this area. But over there is more, more square footage than 10,000 per year. Yeah. 10,000 is needed for, and again, assuming city sewer, yes. 10,000 for a single family lot. This lot is 20,000. 20,000 something Singapore. Yeah. Like, like, uh, like JJ Jay mentioned it. So to build the duplex, I, I don't need any,
any special permit. So that's, that's allowed, uh, by the, but to do, uh, to single family, that's, that's why we need the special permit. So if, if you need more information or the proof, uh, that we got the approval from DPW to connect to the city soil, we can, we can continue. But like for another way, like Jay Jay mentioned it, we can, Uh, This can be like condition, one of the conditions. Well, If the board wants to see that evidence, which I,
I'm not finding, I'm not sure I Saw, um, We can continue and, and Yeah. See If we can get that documentation the board wants to see. Yeah, Because I, I would like to Come. Please Come to the microphone. I, I would just like to know how my son's engineer was denied. Clark's engineer was denied and he got approval, same sewer, same place. You know, we could have built a bigger house, but we couldn't because we had to have a, we had to have a septic system there because it was denied both other times.
And Clark was doing the same thing. He wanted to build two houses just like this. He was denied because they said it needed a septic system. The two houses on the corner, um, as you're going down Harold Ave, he goes straight down. The two houses on the corner there are on, on septic. Everything else is tied into sewers that are up on Ellsworth in front of my house. Um, but just about everything else except for that duplex there. That duplex or the Conex that's right across the street that was raised and pumped into the sewer,
which I think you're looking to tie into. No, The not pumped it's gravity. No, it's pumped in. No, it, Oh, okay. Um, I, I don't want, I'm not gonna argue, I, I never went into the house, but, um, they said because it was, that was tied into that sewer that it maxes it out to the end of the street. That's the sewer ends, right? Uh, like I said, on the third house on the left on Harold Ave, it ends just before there. So that would, that's where that one ends.
So, well, we're not, in theory it's got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 houses or seven, eight houses tied into that sewer that goes up halfway up. Harold down. Okay. We're not gonna solve this issue tonight. So whatever we can get from the DPW, um, we can request that documentation. Um, We Have a motion to continue. I'll make a Motion to continue. I'll second it to March. Next meeting Is, did the Applicant want to continue? It would be March 4th Or March 18th. Do you want to continue as the applicant?
Do you want to continue? Uh, Yes, I want to continue. Okay. What date? Uh, let's do second one. March 18th. So just, uh, The first meeting, first meeting would be March 4th. The second meeting would be March 18th. Yeah, let's do March 4th. March 4th. Okay. We Have a request to continue to March 4th. Second. I didn't make a motion. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. We will continue to March 4th. Uh, we're going to get engineering, correct. Jay,
I'll Ask, um, yeah, I'll right there. Next on the agenda is contemplated zoning amendment to add professional and personal services as allowing allowed uses an industrial aid district. For example, hair and nail salons, physical therapists, physicians, chiropractor, therapists. It's a re it's referred from the city council and we have an email from, um, Brent Dean and Karen Fanon asking us to continue to, when Brent is back from Spain, uh, to allow him to properly
lay this out before us. No problem. A Motion to continue. Motion to continue. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Any further announcements? Future agenda items About a discussion item. A discussion item. How about we get name plates that aren't made out of cardboard? You're gonna have Doge walking through this place if we do that. Nope. Nobody Appreciates all the money. I tried to Save the city. Yeah. I've had cardboard for 10 years. Phil, how long have you had cardboard? Yeah. Yeah. I just, I'm happy to have Surprise. Isn't in Stanton Stone? Phil.
Phil's original nameplate was marble somewhere. We'll look into that. Thank you. I think we might be getting a new member, so maybe it's a good time to We go to order. Um, John for the record. A Huh? He's just papa. I can make everybody move. There we go. Do I hear a motion to adjourn? Motion to adjourn. Second. Second. All those look good. See you all on March 4th.