ORANGE — The Planning Board will deliberate the fate of Honey Farms convenience store’s application to open at 24 East River St. next Tuesday.
Honey Farms has proposed an eight-pump gas station with overhead canopy, a 4,500-square-foot convenience store with a drive-through and a 26-by-50-foot single-bay car wash. Honey Farms also has a location at 167 Daniel Shays Highway.
The proposed site has encountered opposition by several residents. Roughly 20 people attended Tuesday’s hearing, which had been previously continued three times.
Orange resident Kathy Reinig distributed a letter stating her opposition to the Honey Farms proposal. She listed various concerns, including the potential for heavy traffic.
Bruce Scherer said he thinks the proposal is a great project in the wrong location.
Gary Moise, owner of Orange Trading Co. at 57 South Main St., said approval of the proposal would “derail” the town.
“Orange deserves better, and Honey Farms can do better,” he said, adding that the negative effects to other establishments in town will offset any tax revenue and employment this project brings to Orange.
Dennis Bratcher, however, voiced his support for the proposal. He said concerns about traffic safety are being blown out of proportion.
Planning Board members Richard Sheridan, Tom Forest, Marc Ostberg and Bruce St. John voted in favor of closing the hearing. James Hayes Jr. opposed the motion to close in order to “err on the side of caution” after some residents expressed desire to continue the hearing yet again.
Civil engineer Patrick W. McLaughlin, of MHF Design Consultants in New Hampshire, said at a previous public hearing session the proposed project has been tweaked in response to concerns expressed in public, departmental and initial peer reviews. He and senior project manager Heather L. Monticup of Greenman-Pedersen Inc., in Wilmington, have said they have revised the project’s driveway configuration and pedestrian access and the location and architecture of the car wash.
The public hearing was finally closed Tuesday after hearing comments from third-party reviewer Weston & Sampson, an environmental and infrastructure consulting firm based in Peabody.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 258. On Twitter: @DomenicPoli