Jim Scalise of SK Design said the former Burger King will be razed to make way for a new structure.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The former Burger King on Merrill Road, which has sat vacant for three years, is to be demolished.

 

Owners J&D Barry LLC have applied for a special permit to demolish the building and construct an Advance Auto Parts store in its place. J. Leo Barry purchased the property for $1.275 million in fall 2012. The building had been auctioned by TD Bank after former owner Richard George abruptly closed the restaurant that June.

 

The property is 5.8 acres and will be redesigned. The two entrances and exits will remain with a 6,900 square-foot building placed in the middle of the property — that is nearly a third larger than the existing building. There will be 51 parking spots in front of the building and a loading area for trucks in the back. 

 

"The proposal is to replace the former Burger King at 630 Merrill Road with a new retail use, which is a 6,900 square-foot building," engineer Jim Scalise of SK Design told the Community Development Board on Tuesday.

 

The project needed, and received, a special permit because it resides in a floodplain. Because of the elimination of the drive-through, Scalise said there will be fewer impervious surfaces and the flooring will be above flood level. 

 

Scalise said he will be working with the state Department of Transportation on the egresses, and he expects MassDOT will place a restriction on vehicles taking left turns while exiting. Overall, Scalise said there will be five to eight times less traffic than Burger King had.

 

The board didn't like the look of the building, however, and asked the company to try to design one that fits into the area better. The building's early renderings are typical for the auto parts stores nationwide.

 

The Community Development Board doesn't have the authority in this case to force the company to do anything different but Scalise offered to sit with staff to review options. 

 

"We have become, over the years, much more aware of the impact on the community on the architectural look of these," said Chairwoman Sheila Irvin. 

 

Board member Floriana Fitzgerald said "the building is just a box the way it is," and encouraged Scalise to change the design. 

 

Scalise said the company is just now starting to hire an architect so there is plenty of time to work with the board members. Board member David Hathaway said the use is "by-right" according to zoning and if it weren't for the floodplain, the board wouldn't even have had a say on it at all. He advocated that the board avoid holding the project up.

 

The project is similar to the razing of the former Pizza Hut just down the street. The Community Development in September approved that demolition and subsequent construction of an AutoZone. 

 

The Community Development Board also approved the special permit required for the Berkshire Carousel, despite concerns from a neighbor. 

 

The Berkshire Carousel is planning to construct a 9,531-square-foot building over the course of three phases to house the merry-go-round, a small concession stand, and bathrooms and then event space, a larger concession operation, and space for a fully functioning workshop. The building is proposed at the intersection of Center Street and South Church Street, next to the CVS.

Brent White of White Engineering presented the plans for the Berkshire Carousel building.

Brent White, of White Engineering, said there will be 88 parking spots available to conform with city regulations, between on site and an agreement with a neighboring company, but he only expects to need about 60 of them per day.

The building will have a metal exterior with concrete walkways. He said there will be no "free standing" lighting in the parking lot and instead the area will be lit by lights on the building and the city's street lights.

Wendy Griswold, however, is worried that there won't be enough parking. She lives on South Church Street and fears that the cars will line up along her street and the residents won't have spots near their homes. Griswold said while she currently has off-street parking at her property, there isn't enough for visitors who then have to park on the street. 

 

"We are inviting hundreds of cars a day onto South Church Street," Griswold said.

 

She brought up concerns of people taking up spots in the lots at nearby businesses. She said she was concerned with pedestrian crosswalks, signs for traffic, and noise.

 

Additionally, she asked how much additional city services will be provided for trash pick up, fire protection, and police. 

 

"As far as fire protection and services, the property will remain privately owned and will be paying property taxes. So like every other commercial operation, they'll be paying taxes for city services," responded City Planner CJ Hoss.

 

Hoss said all of the city departments, including the engineers, had a chance to review the application and he received no comments of concern on the items Griswold addressed. 

 

"I walked to the site from downtown and there are crosswalks, signalized crosswalks in the vicinity," Hoss said. 

 

The board approved the special permit.