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A management company that owns a Route 9 shopping plaza near the Amherst town line is considering adding a large self-storage development to an undeveloped portion of the property.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n At the Planning Board meeting Tuesday, Christian Brannelly, management director at Chestnut Realty Management in Boston, presented a conceptual drawing of an 82,500-square-foot project featuring an unspecified number of non-climate-controlled storage units.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The development would go on a 5-acre portion of 16 acres that are mostly wooded at the rear of the Campus Shopping Plaza at 438-454 Russell St. That site is anchored by Stop & Shop, TJ Maxx and Liquors 44.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe have engaged a few different third parties,\u201d Brannelly said. \u201cWe believe there are approximately 10 acres of upland development area behind the shopping center.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Chestnut Realty, as Hadley Campus Plaza LLC, bought the property for $27.2 million in October 2022.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Currently, the only development to the rear of the plaza, which is also immediately west of the Big Y Supermarket on University Drive in Amherst, is a Sprint antenna, though Brannelly said the woods have previously been a homeless encampment, with some semi-permanent structures built over the years. The potential development would address trash and other debris left in the area.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Brannelly said the project would be developed outside the drop zone for the cell tower.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n One complication, Brannelly said, will be access, which he explained may come from a so-called \u201cpaper road\u201d that would be a continuation of Campus Plaza Road.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to figure out access to this area behind the shopping center,\u201d Brannelly said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Because of the size of the development, it would likely require a special permit and possible use of the farmland preservation bylaw, a means of allowing developers to do more intense developments by providing money to permanently preserve agricultural land elsewhere in town.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Planners appeared comfortable with the development, so long as it meets town zoning.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a permitted use in a permitted zone,\u201d Planning Board Chairman James Maksimoski said. \u201cWhether or not it\u2019s a good idea, we don\u2019t comment on that, because that\u2019s a risk the developer is taking.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Planning Board member Joseph Zgrodnik said the developer will have to make sure there is sufficient parking, two square feet for every square foot of building. He cautioned that a future change in use could cause vehicles to spill onto town roads.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Maksimoski said wetlands is likely to be the biggest concern.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Brannelly said he will be speaking to the town\u2019s conservation agent and Conservation Commission to determine the amount of upland before returning to the Planning Board.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Other business<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In other business, planners advised attorney Tom Reidy of Bacon Wilson PC in Amherst that they would likely not support a zoning change to reduce the parking requirements for the display space for vehicles at Steve Lewis Subaru, 315 Russell St.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Reidy said he raised the possibility of the zoning change in advance of a redevelopment plan for the site, including a more modern building, following the dealership\u2019s purchase by Balise Motor Sales last winter. Reidy said the site plans for redevelopment would be brought forward in February.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Planning Board Clerk William Dwyer said a better option than bringing a zoning change to Town Meeting may be to tweak zoning rules to accommodate display of vehicles at Class 1 dealerships.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Maksimoski said he would be more comfortable with bending or flexing rules for the town\u2019s two Class 1 dealerships.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Another item on the board\u2019s agenda involved a status conference on landscaping business In the Green Gardens, 243 Russell St., in advance of a continuation of a site plan review hearing next month. Owner Steve Vaiano informed the board he has repaired a perimeter fence, cleaned up the yard and is getting quote from a company to complete survey work.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n