Next hearing on proposed Dollar General set for July 14
SUNDERLAND — The Zoning Board of Appeals’ discussion on the proposal for a 9,100-square-foot Dollar General at the corner of Route 116 and Clark Mountain Road will continue on Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.
At the latest hearing, the ZBA discussed Tighe & Bond’s peer review of the applicant’s traffic study. Michael Wulforst of Bowman Consulting Group had said the study projected the change would not impact traffic levels on Route 116, based on data collected during the “peak hours” of 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. and 4 to 5 p.m. over a Wednesday and Thursday.
After analyzing the study, Matthew Stoutz, a traffic engineer with Tighe & Bond, said the applicant addressed their “minor” comments and found the data to be consistent with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) traffic counts.
However, ZBA Chair Steve Krol expressed concerns with the “peak hours” studied in Bowman Consulting Group’s traffic report, arguing that Route 116 traffic peaks on Fridays and Mondays. In response, Stoutz said Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday traffic counts tend to be “more representative” than “atypical” patterns on Mondays and Fridays.
While the original traffic report included an entry point on Route 116 that limited vehicles to only turning right into the store parking lot and turning right to leave the lot, the current proposal includes a “full-access” driveway allowing multiple points of entry. Stoutz told the ZBA that Tighe & Bond does not anticipate the change leading to safety issues.
Krol described a discrepancy between the traffic counts included in the report and his experience driving along Route 116.
“It seems that the traffic study doesn’t match the eye test. We run up and down that road all the time, and there is a lot of traffic volume that goes through there. … If you come out there on a Friday and take a left, you might as well shut off the car and wait until you find a space, the traffic is so heavy,” Krol said. “I just think that traffic studies aren’t very good at evaluating safety.”
Wulforst reaffirmed that he and other traffic engineers follow standards set in place to ensure safety and “filter out the noise” of data fluctuations and other factors by relying on “sound” and “accurate” data like MassDOT’s traffic counts.
After about an hour and a half of discussion, Krol said he believes the board “adequately thrashed” the applicant’s traffic report.
Bikes Fight Cancer raises more than $425K
SOUTH DEERFIELD — In its seventh year, the Bikes Fight Cancer charity ride drew more than 600 cyclists on June 20.
The riders set off from Tree House Brewing Co. and traveled 25 to 50 miles through the county before looping back to the brewery for a celebration.
The charity ride collected more than $425,000, which will support the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Cancer Connection, CHD’s Cancer House of Hope and Camp Rising Sun.
“Every rider, volunteer, donor and sponsor played a role in making this year’s event a success,” Bikes Fight Cancer co-founder Meghan Morin said in a statement. “Together, we’re helping fund critical services, wellness programs, patient support and cancer research that make a real difference for individuals and families throughout our region.”
Whately Planning Board approves Comprehensive Plan
WHATELY — Planning Board members unanimously approved a Comprehensive Plan for Whately titled “Rural Roots, Bright Futures” last week.
Over about two years, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments worked with the Selectboard and Planning Board to craft the Comprehensive Plan, keeping in mind input from residents on the future of transportation, agriculture “and all the good stuff a town cares about” that they would like to see in Whately, according to FRCOG Housing and Livability Program Manager Megan Rhodes.
Rhodes described the plan as a non-binding “blueprint for how you make decisions” that strengthens grant applications for town projects.
“This essentially took feedback from town residents of what people feel was going to be valuable for the town moving forward,” Planning Board member Laura Ross clarified.
Planning Board Chair Brant Cheikes described the plan as a helpful reminder of the community’s desires for Whately when the board members make future decisions or consider bylaw changes.
“Now we have a document that has some community backing and support, and some expert, professional judgment driving its creation,” Cheikes said. “Having this kind of plan gives me much more confidence in what we might do going forward.”
The full Comprehensive Plan can be viewed at whatelyplans.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/plan-7.1.26.pdf.
Conway residents earn Ryan Scholarship
CONWAY — Adrien Pazmandy of Conway, a recent graduate of Frontier Regional School, and Maxwell Balkema, a Conway resident and recent University of Massachusetts Amherst graduate, each received a $3,000 Ryan Scholarship.
The scholarships are sponsored by the Friends of the Field Memorial Library.
Pazmandy graduated from Frontier this year on the advanced manufacturing and engineering track. In an independent study project at Frontier, Pazmandy researched developing a sustainable, alternative building material made of sawdust and fungal spores.
Balkema graduated from the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School in 2022 and the Honors College at UMass Amherst. According to the award announcement, Balkema wrote his honors thesis “about the struggle of Indigenous people, who saw their land and nature as an integral part of life, against the desire to profit from nature and her resources.”
South County Senior Center earns $15K AARP grant
SUNDERLAND — The South County Senior Center was awarded a $15,000 AARP Flagship Award on June 24.
According to Senior Center Director Jennifer Ferrara, the $15,000 will be used to create emergency kit bags for Deerfield, Sunderland and Whately residents over 50 years old. Following input from the Deerfield, Sunderland and Whately police departments, the Senior Center will fill the kits with flashlights, blankets, water and other helpful supplies that can be used during a power outage or other emergencies.
“We’re really excited,” Ferrara said.
To enter the lottery for a kit, pick up an application at the Senior Center, located at 22 Amherst Road in Sunderland; call Outreach Coordinator Chris Goudreau at 413-768-1066; or fill out the form on the Senior Center’s website.