Deerfield Zoning Board of Appeals and Selectboard: Your ZBA deliberations at the Nov. 12 Zoom conference are confusing to me.
Seven hundred Deerfield residents have signed a letter against a petition for a variance to erect a 9,300-square-foot undisclosed retail building in a 4,000-square-foot zoned commercial area. Well over 100 emails/letters were sent to you, the majority of which were against the proposal, many expressing concerns about safety and traffic issues. During the public hearing portion of the meeting, you expressed gratitude for these comments, acknowledging their importance to the process, but once public comments were closed off, your deliberations took on a different tone.
Public comments avoided specifying Dollar General as the petitioner. Rather they addressed the impact any large retail operation would have at the intersection of State 5&10, Mill Village Road and North Main Street. Yet your deliberations specifically referenced Dollar General, describing the benefits its large variety of retail products would be for the community. Some of you were pleased at what you and your spouses found at the Dollar General in Greenfield. Someone commented about a gentleman who was able to find a needed item at Dollar General and nowhere else. Theses are subjective, limited opinions and should have no bearing on your deliberations concerning objective town business.
Since you identified Dollar General, consider these detriments. Dollar General has not provided a products list, so I will use the one in Greenfield as an example of what the proposed Deerfield Dollar General would sell, just as you did. The majority of food products are processed with unhealthy amounts of salt and sugar, and little, if any, fresh produce. You can bet your bottom dollar (pun intended) there won’t be locally-sourced fresh fruits, vegetables and meats/poultry at Deerfield Dollar General like there are at Ciesluk’s Market.
We have Leader’s Hardware and Deerfield Pharmacy for non-food items. I question your assertion that this will provide easier shopping, especially for senior citizens who, you claim, are reluctant to drive a few additional miles to the Greenfield or Hadley Dollar General. How many senior citizens did you talk to or read letters from who support this petition? I’m 77 and spoke with many fellow senior citizens; not one supports this proposal. Most expressed how dangerous the intersection is with current traffic, going out of their way to avoid it. (Plus most seniors don’t or shouldn’t eat “junk” food).
By basing your decision on convenience are you suggesting Deerfield should grant variances to Home Depot, Target, CVS, or Dick’s Sports just because of convenience? By approving this petition you are opening Pandora’s box. Future petitioners will claim “you allowed one 4,000-plus-square-foot establishment there, why are you denying us?”
You brushed aside traffic and safety discussions and considered it a benefit that Dollar General would get MASS DOT to widen the road and paint some turning lanes, which suddenly convinced you the intersection will be safe even with increased customer and delivery traffic! I remind you that at the Jan. 23 public hearing one of you stated this is an “extremely dangerous dangerous intersection” and the petitioners should perhaps drive it and see for themselves! Please review the very knowledgeable Oct. 20 email from John Paresky (career tractor-trailer manager) about truck driver’s “blind spot” and inadequate turning space for 18-wheelers at the proposed location.
You must consider additional traffic generated when Tree House Brewery opens. You gave credence to Mr. Donahue’s (petitioner’s attorney) suggestion that that commercial property won’t stay vacant forever, translation: “the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know” That is a vague presumption whereas Tree House is a reality.
It’s a disaster waiting to happen if you allow any large retail operation there. Do you honestly believe that painted turning lines, more signs and better lighting are going to render that intersection safe with all the increased customer and delivery truck traffic? We have a section in town further south where there are larger-than-4,000 square-foot buildings. Keep zoning within the Town Master Plan that resulted from the UMass Center for Economic Development 1999 study and had the overwhelming support of Deerfield residents.
You are appointed but you need to deliberate as if you were facing reelection. Please uphold the will of the majority of Deerfield residents. Deny Dollar General’s petition. Town counsel has advised that if only one of the six criteria fails to meet the standard, benefits outweigh detriments, you can deny the petitioner without adverse consequences. Safety alone has enough detriments.
Reenie Grybko Clancy is a resident of South Deerfield.