Cumberland Farms Hearing Continued Until After Community Meeting
ADAMS, Mass. — The Zoning Board of Appeals once again continued the Cumberland Farms public hearing so the company can hold a community meeting.
For the second time this summer, the convenience store chain has requested a continuation of its public hearing on its proposal to build a new gas station on Commercial Street. The hearing has been rescheduled to Sept. 11.
"I appreciate everyone coming out on this rainy night and I hate to bear of news … but we have received correspondence from the attorney … asking for a formal request … to continue the public hearing," Chairman Peter West said Tuesday night.
Cumberland Farms wants to demolish Al's Service Center at 95 Commercial St. as well as two other structures, all owned by Carol Ostrowski, and build a gas station/convenience store just south of its older location that will be closed.
This has not sat well with abuttors who voiced their numerous concerns at a Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing in June, which prompted the Cumberland Farms representatives to take this input back to the designers.
Cumberland Farms has asked to continue hearing from July 24 to Tuesday's meeting and West said this second continuation will allow Cumberland Farms time to meet with the abuttors to go over the project.
"Since the last meeting, what has happened is Cumberland Farms have realized that there is a little bit of resistance," West said. "At this point after having two meetings they have decided that they want to have a community meeting with folks involved."
A community meeting has yet to be scheduled.
The board's main concern was about traffic increases and its impacts on the narrow Prospect Street. Members also questioned tractor trailer maneuverability and a 24-hour operation in a residential district.
Residents had many of the same issues and felt the gas station would decrease their property values and cause unwanted noise and attention in the neighborhood.
The board unanimously voted to extend the hearing and agreed it would be a good idea to hold a meeting at which a compromise could perhaps be met.
"I think it is probably a good idea for Cumberland Farms to meet one on one with you folks and learn what's going on and hopefully come up with something that may work as a compromise or may not," West said. "I believe it is in everybody's best interest at this point to grant this extension."
There had been a concern among some residents that the neighborhood was losing interest but more people attended Tuesday's hearing than the one last month.
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