CHICOPEE – A proposal for a Pilot-operated gas station with a convenience store and a Wendy’s received unanimous opposition from residents of Burnett Road. In response, the Planning Board opted to approve preliminary plans for the site before voting against finalizing the design during their May 5 meeting.

Background

Vice President of Pilot Patrick Deptula presented the project alongside his design and legal team. He explained that the site would include 16 fueling areas and a fueling depot for trucks. For Deptula, the 357 Burnett Rd. location marked another expansion opportunity for Pilot. The location sits right off one of the I-90 highway turnpike exits for Chicopee.

“When I started, we had just under 200 facilities, we are now over 700 facilities,” said Deptula.

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. (VHB) Director of Land Development John Furman detailed the background behind the site’s history. Furman served as a part of an initial project that transformed the space into a mixed-use hotel, gas station and sit-down restaurant space in 2018. While the project gathered the necessary permits, the advent of the coronavirus pandemic halted the project.

“We were ready to go, then COVID[-19] hit,” said Furman.

Shortly after, Pilot expressed interest in becoming involved with the site. Furman shared that the design team continues to work alongside Eversource and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), ensuring that the space features a reduced carbon footprint and meets traffic qualifications. Furman also explained the team’s alteration of plans, such as the removal of a Wendy’s drive-thru, were to prevent disturbances.

VHB Senior Traffic Engineer Charlie Baker assured residents that the new Pilot design will attract 700 fewer trips per day than the previously planned development. During peak hours, Baker said the new design will not project any noticeable changes from travel habits. “It’s very similar to the previous development...we’re not projecting any noticeable change,” said Baker.

Resident Reactions

Residents of Burnett Road expressed stern opposition to the truck site. Prior to the meeting, a resident ordered for a recorded phone message throughout Chicopee notifying community members to oppose the project, according to Ward 6 City Councilor Derek Dobosz.

Kevin Roberts, a resident of the Burnett Road area for 50 years, stressed that commercial developments continue to add to traffic problems in the area. “All those business have transformed traffic significantly … Burnett Road is a residential community, the stressors on Burnett Road are tremendous already,” said Roberts, who said the noise generated at night is “very difficult” to deal with.

Francis Riley expressed a passionate denouncement against the project. “I sit back and watch 20 people try to ruin my neighborhood … nobody wants this, ask the people,” said Riley.

Other residents noted that the Pilot alterations for the site represented a significant change from the site plans approved in 2018 by the Planning Board.

Dobosz explained his reasons for opposing the site. He believed that the site’s aboveground gas storage “seemed somewhat dangerous,” while stating the location “will cause a lot of delays” in regard to traffic. Dobosz advocated that the station would negatively impact residents’ quality of life.

“Bottom line, this is a quality-of-life issue,” said Dobosz.
The Planning Board ultimately approved preliminary plans for the site before voting against finalizing plans for the site. The Pilot team will reconvene with the Planning Board to undergo a final review.