Monson Planning Board site plan rejection may not end Dollar General development - MassLive.com

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MONSON — The Planning Board may have rejected the site plan for a proposed Dollar General on Main Street, but the project hasn’t been canceled nor have developers backed out of the project.

The site of the project is located in the town’s Central Commercial District, which allows retail by-right in that district, according to Town Planner Daniel Laroche. While retail use is allowed in the district, commercial developments require a site plan review.

“The site plan was rejected, but it doesn’t mean that the applicant can’t come back and re-apply for a site plan review if they meet all the advertising requirements,” said Laroche.

In a 4-1 vote, members of the Monson Planning Board voted down the site plan for the proposed 9,100 square-foot retail facility at the Tuesday, Oct. 20 Planning Board meeting. Board member Paul Hatch made the motion to deny the applicant on several grounds, including “a lack of trash containment and the truck entry for delivery of products and the loading platform location.” Board member Kevin Haley dissented. He did not return a call back for comment on his decision.

Discussion on the future of the property has grown contentious at times over the past few months of Planning Board meetings. Although meetings have been held virtually, many have been well-attended, at times including 140 people. Several residents also took their opposition to the streets in August in a protest in front of the site at 96 Main St.

At the most recent October meeting, residents questioned some of the more specifics of the future facility’s operation like its hours of operation and duration of lighting for signage.

Matthew Bruton, project manager for Meriden, Connecticut-based BL Companies Inc. who has been speaking on behalf of the applicant, noted as he had previously that the project does not have a defined tenant at this point. Whoever does come to occupy this facility will follow the town’s bylaws, he said. Craig Sweitzer, chair of the Planning Board, noted that there was currently no request for signage.

Residents attending the meeting were quick to rebut the claim stating that they knew it was a Dollar General site.

Angela Petkovic, a spokesperson from Dollar General Corp., stated that Dollar General is still in its “due diligence phase” for establishing a new site at 96 Main St. in Monson.

“This means we are reviewing the opportunity to add a new store in the area, but we have not committed to doing so just yet,” said Petkovic in a statement.

In a previous interview, she said that the Tennessee-based company has plans regarding 2,600 real estate projects, which includes 1,000 new store openings and 80 store relocations.

One of the arguments that residents have brought forward repeatedly with the project is that this facility and its proposed business wouldn’t fit into the character of the town.

Bruton didn’t agree. He argued that the applicant has worked extensively with the board, Laroche and the town’s hired peer review, Tighe & Bond, on creating a design that they feel is attractive and would fit in with the neighborhood.

“Obviously, I understand I am not popular. This is not a popularity contest. I’m an engineer trying to design a facility that falls in line with your regulations, regulations that have been approved by members of this town, so the inclination that it is not compliant with regulations, I don’t agree with that,” said Bruton at the Oct. 20 meeting.

He also argued that the previous building that the proposed facility would fit in better with the character of the town and neighborhood than the previous one did.

The Main Street site contains debris of the Holmes gymnasium was built in 1900 and the Harper building, which was dedicated in 1961. Both buildings were torn apart by the 2011 tornado and demolished by crews the following year. Both buildings were vacant for years prior to the tornado striking Western Massachusetts on June 1, 2011.

The previous building was 3 feet higher and also much taller, said Bruton.

“This property has been destroyed and derelict for a decade. We’re looking to make a significant investment and I think an attractive investment in this property and I think we’ve been very responsive to the board and staff,” he said.

Hatch said that he hoped to see something that would fit in with more of the Greek Revival style like the rest of the neighborhood rather than what he described as “like one that could be seen in a strip development area.”

Douglas Grunert, an architect from Brockton-based BKA Architects Inc. who is working with the applicant, noted that he used bylaws to help establish the look of the building that incorporates many elements that are found throughout the town. He said the roofline in the facility was very similar to that of the prior building as well as the corner entrance that simulates the recessed portico. Materials also include clay, fire-red bricks.

Following a more than two-hour meeting on the matter, the board rejected the site plan. But the applicant still has another public hearing that remains open.

The property is also located along the Chicopee Brook, creating development on the site requires special permits pertaining to stormwater. A special permit is required for activity within the water supply protection district. This district is an overlay district and approval is required because Monson’s bylaws state that any use which will render impervious more than 15 percent or 2,500 square feet requires a permit. These water quality bylaws are very technical, so the town hired Tighe & Bond, a water quality engineer to review, Sweitzer explained at the meeting.

Sweitzer further noted that there were about seven areas of concern raised following Tighe & Bond’s review that should be addressed prior to granting approval for the special permit. The areas include identifying erosion control steps and test boring.

Bruton siad that he’d prefer that the board approve with conditions, but said that based on the fact that so many board members want answers beforehand, he would request a continuation of the public hearing to Tuesday, Nov. 17.

“I think that may be the best way to do it, Matt, because I don’t think that if we voted tonight you would do that well,” said Sweitzer.

Bruton agreed.

The board unanimously approved continuing the public hearing until Nov. 17 with the intention that Bruton would revise the areas of concern regarding the stormwater management to the satisfaction of Tighe & Bond to which they will comment once more.

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