HAMPDEN — The Hampden Planning Board agreed 3-2 to take no action on The Farm at GreatHorse’s request for a rezone of four parcels from residential R-6 and R-4 districts to golf recreational at its Sept. 25 meeting.
The rezone request included a modification of four parcels owned by GreatHorse Farm; a parcel of 4.5 acres, a parcel of 12.25 acres, a parcel of 38.6 acres and a parcel of 236.76 acres, totally approximately 292.11 acres.
At the public hearing, GreatHorse Farm was represented by Fitzgerald Law attorneys Seth Stratton and Rachel Fancy. During his initial presentation, Stratton explained that GreatHorse Farm was seeking a favorable recommendation from the Planning Board concerning the rezoning of the four parcels in order to relocate the business’ shed to a more ideal and “aesthetic” location.
The maintenance shed is currently located along the edge of Wilbraham Road, Stratton stated. He explained that the business was requesting all 292.11 acres rezoned because it had not yet figured out a design or location for the shed once moved. As a result, the farm is requesting all parcels rezoned to prepare for this relocation.
The Sept. 25 Planning Board public hearing was the first step in GreatHorse Farm receiving approval for its request, Planning Board member John Matthews said. At this meeting, the board had the option to recommend favorably, unfavorably or take no action on the request. Once the Board of Selectmen formally places the request on the upcoming Town Meeting warrant, the recommendation would then be shared with residents at the Oct. 29 special Town Meeting when the article is read aloud.
Likewise, Stratton noted that GreatHorse Farm would be required to return for an additional approval from the Planning Board in order to relocate the shed, highlighting that the current request to be favorably recommended on the Town Meeting warrant was only for rezoning the property.
As stated in Hampden’s zoning bylaws, “the R-4 and R-6 district are intended for residential and non-commercial uses as permitted according to the table of use regulations 6.0” while “the golf recreational district is intended for a commercial golf course and the normal and usual accessory uses as permitted according to the table of use regulations 6.0.” Within the corresponding table, multiple pages of uses are noted as well as which type of district they are permitted in.
The town’s zoning bylaws are available online at hampdenma.gov/town-clerk/pages/bylaws. The R-4 and R-6 districts are on page 40, the golf recreational district is on page 42, and table of use regulations 6.0 begins on page 26.
During the public hearing, residents raised concerns about the scale of the rezone request, questioning why all four parcels needed to be changed in order to relocate the shed, the potential future projects after the area was rezoned and whether the rezone could be reduced to a more specific area. Similarly, residents stated that GreatHorse should be required to create a more in-depth plan prior to the approval of the rezone change, arguing that the final plan was relevant to whether the rezone should be permitted.
With support of applause from the audience, residents encouraged the Planning Board to take no action on the rezone request, noting that a favorable or unfavorable recommendation would sway uncertain voters at the Town Meeting.
In response, Stratton reaffirmed that the open request was to accommodate the undetermined location and design of the shed while the rezone request was required by the town to be separate from the shed relocation request. He highlighted that, following the rezone, “an amusement use” was not permitted nor wanted by GreatHorse to be utilized at the Farm property.
“We don’t know what the future of that parcel holds but we know what it does not hold which is amusement,” Stratton said. He noted that having both adjacent properties zoned as golf recreational would create “flexibility” for GreatHorse.
With the Planning Board’s decision to take no formal action on the recommendation request, the final no action recommendation will be in place once 21 days have passed since the date of Sept. 25 public hearing, Board of Selectmen chair Don Davenport stated.
