Neighbors worried about traffic at self-storage on Cycle St.

March 16, 2023 | Amy Porter
aporter@thereminder.com

Westfield Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy hears concerns about a proposed self-storage project on Cycle Street from residents at a ward meeting on March 6.
Reminder Publishing photo by Amy Porter

WESTFIELD — Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy invited residents of the Lozierville neighborhood to a second ward meeting to discuss a proposed self-storage facility at 21 Cycle St. The project is currently in front of the Planning Board and Conservation Commission for site plan review.

At the start of the March 6 meeting at the Senior Center, Figy told residents of Gold Street, Cycle Street, Cleveland Avenue and Lozier Avenue that because the proposed 10 buildings expected to house 400 to 500 storage units are in an Industrial A zone, using the property for storage is allowed by right. He said what residents can do is request that the city place conditions on the site plan approval.

“I want to talk about Plan B, conditions for the permit,” Figy told them, adding that motions he had made to bring several traffic proposals to the Traffic Commission, including reducing traffic to 25 mph on Cycle, East Silver and South Meadow streets, and Cleveland, Lozier and Toledo avenues; a four-way stop at the corner of East Silver and Noble streets with Lozier Avenue; and traffic controlling measures such as speed bumps on other streets, had been approved by the City Council.

A resident asked how traffic control measures would be enforced, and pointed out there already is a sign on Lozier saying no truck traffic allowed, but trucks go down the road every day.  Suggestions were to call the police every time a violation occurred, or a vehicle was speeding.

Several residents asked why Cycle Street Redevelopment and its principal, Robert Bacon, couldn’t use a rear entrance to the property on Ponders Hollow Road and Meadow Street rather than forcing clients to navigate their congested neighborhood and narrow streets. They said they would at least like to see a different entrance to the business explored.

Figy asked what open hours the resident would like to recommend for the business. Although there was no consensus, concern was expressed about traffic interfering with transportation to school buses and children walking to Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue elementary schools.

The neighborhood is also popular for recreational walking by hundreds a day, according to some, due to its proximity to the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail.

One resident asked whether having the right to build in the location gave Bacon the right to send his traffic through a residential neighborhood to get there.

Other concerns raised at the meeting included lighting, security, control of materials being stored, and the impact building would have on existing stormwater issues.

Neighbors said they didn’t want lights on all night.  At the same time, people said they are concerned with security and break-ins.

One resident at the end of Cycle St. said her property already has issues with standing water, and the building lot is on higher ground than the houses in the neighborhood. She asked what would keep the construction from worsening the water on her end of the street, and said a stormwater plan was needed.

Figy said he wanted to potentially limit the number of contractors allowed at the site, who he believed would bring more traffic and more trucks than self-storage by private citizens.

The Planning Board’s hearing on the proposal had originally been continued to the meeting of March 7, but was then moved to March 21. The Feb. 28 hearing at the Conservation Commission was canceled due to the closure of City Hall for a snowstorm, and rescheduled for March 15. At press time, there was the possibility of another winter storm closing City Hall on that date.

Figy pledged to take the concerns of the community to the board meetings. Residents said they planned to attend the meetings and speak for themselves, as well.

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