HADLEY – With intervention from the Select Board to address an ongoing parking concern at the neighboring Esselon Cafe, the Planning Board approved the site plan for the former Hadley Garage property located at 97 Russell St.

At issue was continued problems with patrons of Esselon parking on the Town Common.

The site plan application includes space for Steve Lewis Subaru’s repair services and Action Ambulance, which serves the town in a reserve capacity, another occupied business space and storage and prep space for Esselon. A garage structure at the south end of the property will be demolished and the plan features a redesigned parking lot with three curb cuts onto Route 9 with 48 total spaces – 27 available to the public.

Members of the Planning Board had previously told Mark Krause, owner of Esselon and the Hadley Garage property, that the café was in violation of its site plan and they could not support site plan approval for the adjoining property until the parking issue was resolved. At the behest of Select Board member Joyce Chunglo, the board approved the temporary parking ban at its Sept. 1 meeting to assist Esselon owner Mark Krause with the ongoing parking problem.

Overflow parking in the available spaces was part of Krause’s plan for the Hadley Garage property, however, he said public compliance had been an uphill climb at times. He said the additional lot has been lined and he erected signs and spoke directly to customers parked on the common. Through those efforts, he claimed there had been a “major reduction” in parking on the common. The parking restriction, he claimed, would be an additional benefit to those who continue to park off-site.

“The ones who have had difficulties with their desire to move their cars have been Hadley residents who say, ‘Parking is allowed on the common, I’m parking on the common.’ What am I supposed to say to them?” he said.

The ban prohibits parking for a 500-foot stretch on either side of the section of West Street that lays to the south of Route 9. Violators’ vehicles would be subject to ticketing or tow.

The Select Board did not establish an end date for the regulation, stating only that it would revisit the issue after six months.

Planning Board Chair James Maksimoski found the solution agreeable.

“If they can’t park on the Town Common, there isn’t much of anyplace else for them to park. They’re going to be forced to park [on-site] or not come at all,” he said. “I’m one of the biggest advocates for pushing this whole parking thing [and] if the town is signing the Town Common and the Police Department is going to enforce with tickets and towing, if that doesn’t deter people, I don’t know what would.”

Planning Board Clerk William Dwyer suggested to the Select Board the 500-foot no parking zone along with simultaneous public education regarding overflow parking could adequately resolve the issue. He pointed out during the Select Board meeting that the town faced a similar parking issue at the now-defunct Carmelina’s restaurant, now Alina’s Restaurant, located across Route 9 from Esselon. The acquisition of a neighboring parcel in order to add parking alleviated those concerns.

Dwyer said based on his observations of parking in the area and damage created by vehicles on the common, “500 feet was the most people are willing to walk” and noted the proposed overflow parking at the Hadley Garage property was less than 175 feet away.

Select Board member John Waskiewicz said he felt the Town Common was a popular public space and wasn’t in favor of restricting parking on that side. Select Board Chair David Fill said he agreed and that was why he viewed a temporary parking ban to be a viable option that would address a current issue without long-term impacts on the community.

Police Chief Michael Mason told the Select Board the department would enforce and assist in educating motorists on proper parking. He indicated the department has officers already ticketing vehicles in that area. When special events on the common were discussed, he said the signs could be covered to accommodate.

“I would hope that with some enforcement and some education, the common side signs would be able to be removed at some point. That would be my hope,” he said.

In addition to parking, at the Planning Board’s meeting, member Mark Dunn also reiterated safety concerns at the Hadley Garage site, specifically traffic flow in front of the garage building and the placement of curb cuts allowing traffic to enter from Route 9. Krause’s attorney, Tom Reidy of Bacon & Wilson PC, indicated the plan had been reviewed and approved by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. “Understanding the board’s thoughts and concerns, it was vetted at the state level and they allowed what they allow,” he said.

Dunn said he likely would not have voted to approve the curb cuts proposed had the state not done so previously but suggested painting the pedestrian crossing near a truck entrance as an extra safety measure. Zgrodnik agreed that at least additional signage could be a remedy to traffic flow concerns on the site.

Maksimoski agreed with Dunn but said he was comfortable with the amount of traffic traveling through the site and didn’t see it as a major issue, especially with state approval. Dwyer said to the board that he felt cutting back curb cuts would create choke points. He said multiple entrances would prevent backups on Route 9.

Zgrodnik also asked about a tent on the Esselon property, which Krause explained was erected as a temporary additional outdoor seating in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said while the café could keep the tent through April 2022, it would likely remove it at the end of October or early November and had no plans to continue offering additional outdoor seating after that.

Reidy warned the board against mixing issues but said if the tent had to remain due to changing pandemic conditions, approval of the Hadley Garage site plan would allow for adequate on-site parking. Maksimoski concurred that he wanted the board to have no part in addressing the tent as it is a public health issue and allowed by a Baker Administration order.

Dwyer also noted the board had previously agreed that it would not require approval of site plan amendments with the emergency order in effect. He added Esselon would not be able to amend its site plan in such a way after the order expires because it would not have the available parking to do so.