WESTFIELD – After initially discussing a site plan for a proposed Kentucky Fried Chicken at 303 E. Main St. at its Nov. 17 meeting, the Westfield Planning Board unanimously approved the plan at its Dec. 15 meeting.

After Board Vice Chair Cheryl Crowe said she was confused over a crossover between an entrance from the adjacent plaza and the drive-through lane, Rob Levesque of R. Levesque Associates Inc. said it would be easy to close that entrance if necessary.

“Initially we designed this without access from the existing plaza. So, what we did is we wanted to make sure the bypass lane would function, and we also wanted to make sure folks can get in from the plaza. During the lunch hour if people aren’t complying, they can always use a cone to shut off that entrance,” he said.

Board member John Bowen said he thought the changes would help improve traffic flow through the parking lot.

“That area right now is a mess and if anything, this going to tighten it up and make it a little nicer. I had to go to Staples there the other day and you don’t know where cars are coming from here, with this it’s going to tighten it up nicely, I think,” he said.

One of the concerns from the board was the fact that both the entrance and exit are two lane ways that close into one, but Levesque said they could remedy that with painted lines and stenciling on the new island in between.

“We would redefine that with a painted line in the middle because the existing line that was there previously doesn’t represent the center line. Certainly, we can redefine the island to show that it’s going to be one lane with some stenciling on that no problem,” he said.

Ultimately, the board unanimously approved the site plan for the KFC.

While the board was scheduled to continue a public hearing over the Westpark development, which includes a Starbucks, Pride, and Hot Table where the Friendly’s currently is on Southampton Road, the applicant requested to push the hearing back to Feb. 16.

Members of the board expressed concerns over compliance issues for the Big Y gas station on East Main Street and Roots Athletic Center. Both special permit holders joined the meeting to discuss their compliance reviews.

 Tony Coppola, the director of store design, construction, and facility management department with Big Y explained how they were addressing the issues on their property.

“One of the concerns is vehicles coming through the egress drive lane, we’ve added additional signage to the egress and painted a do not enter sign. We added signage so when you’re facing the egress from the inside, the customers are leaving the property, they know it’s a right turn out only. The last concern is with tractor trailers on Route 20, and they have been instructed they are not to be parked on Route 20,” he said.

The board said they were happy with the changes and continued on to the compliance review with Roots Athletic Center.

City Planner Jay Vinskey said the athletic center was not complying with the site plan because of unfinished fencing and paving.

“The permit was approved in 2018 and part of that permit was the expanded parking per the plan, and the plan had the paving, the stormwater, the landscaping, and the fencing all as part of the conditions. By using the parking in an incomplete manner it’s not in compliance with the plan,” he said.

Roots Athletic Center owner Frank DeMarinis questioned the board for bringing the compliance issue up now during the pandemic.

“As a small business owner, I would expect that this board would give us some flexibility dealing with a lack of income associated with COVID, I’m surprised the board has brought me in front of them and threatened me with enforcement,” he said.

Planning Board Chair William Carellas said that Roots had time to pave the lot before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“The special permit was issued in 2018, COVID didn’t strike until late 2020, that’s still a year and a half to comply with it when you were using the parking lot. The reality is we should never have been here to begin with, the parking lot was supposed to be paved before you used it,” he said.

While DeMarinis did not give a timetable to pave the parking lot, he said they would install a 6-foot fence as soon as possible.

The Westfield Planning Board next meets on Jan. 5, 2021.