Esselon Cafe owner struggles with parking on Town Common

July 27, 2021 | Nasya Blackshear
nblackshear@thereminder.com

HADLEY – During the Hadley Planning Board’s July 20 meeting, Esselon Cafe and Coffee Roasting Owner Mark Krause engaged in a heated argument with the board regarding his attempt to renovate the property next door for additional parking.

Krause indicated has been fighting an uphill battle with both the Planning Board and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) while trying to get the project done.

Jeffrey Squire of the Berkshire Design Group has been assisting Krause with the renovations and explained there had been a hold-up with MassDOT.

“I think largely what was being asked of Mark and the applicant was just confirmation that DOT would approve the plan,” said Squire. “After a little over a year of back and forth with them, we finally did receive a permit.”

The permit requested from MassDOT was in regards to curb cuts and stormwater drainage that needed to be done for the site. The reason for MassDOT approval? The property is off of Route 9,  a state highway.  

Board member Joe Zgrodnik asked why they weren’t putting a retention pond underneath the site for water drainage. Squire interjected to explain they can’t put something above or below ground because no matter what is designed, it will still need an overflow. Zgrodnik stated that the Department of Public Works said under no circumstance should the drainage be sheet flowed onto Route 9 as MassDOT had approved.

“They recognize that there’s no other option on this site, that’s what the last 18 months have been about,” Squires explained.

Without that permit, Squire couldn’t begin work on the property. With Esselon having a small parking lot and the cafe being so popular, trouble arose when customers began parking on the Town Common.

Planning Board Chair Jim Maksimoski said this was an issue that had been addressed before. “Over a year ago, and during the pandemic, we said the parking was to be on site. The parking has repeatedly been on the Town Common,” he said.

Maksimoski expressed his frustrations about the incident further, “The applicant [Krause] has done nothing, from what I can tell, to keep the parking off the Town Common against site plan approval of several years ago.”

Squire responded to Maksimoski saying, “I can’t speak for Mark and the business, but my understanding is that he has certainly [spoken] to the Select Board, to the Police Department, to anybody he can to try and enforce that. Including letting patrons know that there’s no parking allowed on the common.”

Maksimoski did not accept that response. “The selectmen and the Police Department have little authority to prevent parking on the Town Common. In fact, they even said it was okay to park on the Town Common,” said Maksimoski, then he reiterated, “However, the original site plan approved said the parking must be on site.”

Maksimoski added, “If anybody can control the parking on-site, it’s the owner of the establishment. If they can’t control their own customers, then I have a little concern that they can control anything else on this site. It’s like they’re ignoring site plan approval. He doesn’t care.”

While Squire had done most of the talking, at this point, Krause stepped in and said, “I’m ready to speak now I’ve done everything I’m supposed to in regards to meeting with the Select Board several times, the town manager, and communicated with the chief of police on several occasions in regards to the parking.”

Krause continued, “We’ve been working with the state for 18 months to get this plan approved. This plan has parking available, that we’ll immediately, once this is done, safely have any overflow parking for our customers to come over to this lot here.”

According to Maksimoski, Krause was told 18 months prior that there was nothing preventing his business from using the parking area. “I’m greatly disappointed in what has happened over the last 18 months,” he said.

Fellow Planning Board member Michael Sarsynski chimed in asking, “Are you on the site every day there Mark?” To which Krause responded, “I own a restaurant in the middle of COVID and after COVID. Yes, I’m here all the time.”

Sarsynski followed up with, “Do you look out every day to see where people are parking?” Before Krause could answer, Maksimoski interjected, “As the owner of the establishment, you don’t need the police chief or the Board of Selectmen to tell your customers they can’t park on the Town Common.”

Sarsynski remarked Krause should have the police come and ticket cars, something the cafe owner had already discussed. Krause explained he’d also put up signs telling customers not to park on the Town Common. Maksimoski, however, again reiterated Krause shouldn’t need police or the Select Board to control his customers.

Tom Reidy, who’d been working alongside Krause and Squire, spoke up to defend the cafe owner, “With all due respect, I think we do have to remember that it was a pandemic and Mark is trying.”

Planning Board member Joe Zgrodnik stepped in saying, “He promised to get the automobiles off when this [plan] was originally presented 18 months ago. There’s plenty of parking here, but he chooses not to use it.”

Local resident Randy Izer also came to Krause’s defense. “The town needs to take care of their property. Mark can do the best he can do, but unless he’s standing out there 24/7, people are gonna use that [Town Common],” Izer said.

He went on, “If there’s a sign up that says ‘no parking per town whatever or you’re going to be towed’ and they start towing cars, then it’ll be a different story. Whatever the case may be, it’s the town’s property and they’re responsible for it.”

Ultimately, no decision was made regarding if they’d approve or deny the plan, but they did agree to have a continuance in the next public hearing on Aug. 17.

Reminder Publishing attempted to reach Krause, Reidy, and Squire for comment, but did not receive a response as of press time.

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