LUDLOW — The Ludlow Planning Board approved the creation of a new playscape area at Autism Care Partners, located at 1 Moody St., at its June 27 meeting.
Autism Care Partners, an applied behavior analysis provider, has locations throughout New England and New York. Those locations include three in Western Massachusetts, inclding its newest in Ludlow. The organization hosted its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony or the Ludlow location at the corner of Moody Street and Holyoke Street on Dec. 7, 2023.
Bill Kaveney from the Pearson Companies, the developer representing the property owners, said, “We have [Autism Care Partners] in another facility in another community and they find that these playscapes are a great way for kids to get outside.” Displaying the proposed layout to the board, he called it a “controlled area.” He added that every child at the facility is one-on-one with a staff member, so they are closely supervised.
The proposal called for a small, mulched playscape area located on the other side of the parking lot, near the boundary of the property.
Board Chair Raymond Phoenix said he noticed there was no designed crosswalk or path from the building to the playscape area, to which Kaveney responded they could add one. He also reiterated that the children would be escorted.
When asked about the specifics of the playscape itself, Gary Courchesne of G&H Landscaping said the Autism Care Partners would be purchsing the playscape themselves and he and the property owners were responsible for designing the area in which the playscape would be located. With that said, Kaveney said it would be “very small stuff,” given his experience with the other aforementioned facility.
When asked to clarify the location of the playscape area, Courchesne said it was on the Moody Street side, where there would be less traffic. Kaveney added a fence would be built around the playscape area and the perimiter of the property is also fenced. The playscape will only be used by clients and would not be open to the public.
The project was approved with the condition that a crosswalk from the building to to the playscape area be added to the site plan.
The Planning Board also approved the special permit and waiver of site plan for a new interior design business.
Owner Jennifer Beaulieu told the board she had recently gradauted and was looking to start her own business, working out of her home at 28 Woodland Place. She said the business would not require any clients visiting her at her home, nor would it have additional employees.
She also indicated in the required paperwork that she did not plan to have any signage and there would not be any deliveries or other activity at the house to make it appear less residential.
