EAST LONGMEADOW — During a public hearing on May 20, the East Longmeadow Planning Board approved a special permit and site plan for an assisted living facility at 199 Denslow Rd., the first to be to be sited since a land-use change allowing such businesses in the industrial garden park zone. Landowner and building contractor William Laplante had petitioned for the land use change early this year with the Live Oak Crossing project in mind.
Rebecca Li, a civil engineer with R. Levesque Associates, said the property, just east of the Longmeadow town line, is vacant. A portion of the site lies within a 100-foot wetland buffer, but Li said the petitioner had been before the Conservation Commission, which issued a negative finding of impact.
Laplante said the building is designed to look “residential,” with an exterior clad in stone and siding, a metal standing seam roof and a palette of earth tones. Cupolas along the roof weill add natural lighting indoors. The facility will include an accessible outdoor area and courtyards. The property will be gated for security. Li also said there would be two curb cuts on Denslow Road, to allow traffic to enter, circulate in a one-way pattern around the property and exit back onto the road.
Due to the size of the property and the building’s location on it, there will be little landscaping added, except for trees at the front of the site and plants in the bioretention water basin. Exterior lighting will consist of one pole mounted light near the facilities dumpster and wall-mounted lights designed to limit light spilling onto abutting properties.
Li reviewed the stormwater management plan for the site. The project will include extending the water main north of Denslow Road and the sewer main from the intersection of Benton Drive and Denslow Road to the site. Because the facility will have a kitchen, grease traps will be installed, Li said, which had been worked into the plans.
“I think it’s a home run. I like the multi-line windows. I like the columns. I think it’s great,” said Planning Board member Peter Punderson.
Director of Planning and Community Development Rob Watchilla commented, “they pretty much addressed every comment I gave to them.”
He said the petitioner, Paul Tarnowski, founder and CEO of Live Oak Crossing, was asking for a traffic study waiver as he did not think the use would lead to a large influx of traffic. Instead, he had provided trip counts and sworn to their veracity. Watchilla said it is the Planning Board’s choice whether to allow the waiver. The four members of the Planning Board who were present — Chair Russell Denver was absent — voted to approve the traffic waiver, in addition to the site plan and the special permit.
Survey
Watchilla told the Planning Board that a survey would be available to residents for six weeks to collect information on problem traffic areas. He said the results will inform town projects in the future and ensure pedestrian safety throughout town. The digital version of the survey will be available at eastlongmeadowma.gov/286/Planning-Board, while physical copies will be accessible at the town clerk’s office and at East Longmeadow Public Library.
