23A-070 (27) r
Do Not Write In These Spaces Application Number:
tetl Filed Fee Pd. Recd. ZBA Maps) Parcells)
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1LePh"ATIQhl 1$"E F,(3Y MADE TO THE CITY OF NORTHAMPTON ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS:
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1. Nem Fppllcant Valley Health Plan, Inc. (A Not-for-Profit Corporation)
Address P.O. Box 227, Amherst, MA 01004
2. Owner of Property John Skibiskf Realty Partnership
Address Elizabeth Rock Road, Northampton, MA 01060
3. Applicant is: -Owner; ER Contract Purchaser; ❑Lessee; UTenant in Possession.
4. Application is made for:
VARIANCE from the provisions of Section page of the Zoning Ordinance of the
City of Northampton.
Para raph 9
%SPECIAL PERM IT under the provisions of Section 5.2 page5-9 o{the Zoning Ordinance
of the City of Northampton.
F OTHER:
5. Location of Property 64-88 Main Street being situated on
the south side of Main Street; and shown on the Assessors' Maps,
Sheet No. 23A Parcel(s) 70 and 71
6. Zone General Business
7. Description of proposed work and/or use; New construction of a one story. 11.640
square foot medical office building to include administrative and medical
offices, 75 oarkine Places and landscape architecture.
8. (a) Sketch plan attached; :'.Yes ^_No
(b) Site plan: ;.:Attched -.:Not Required (To be filed prior to hearing)
9. Set forth reasons upon which application is based: See attached sheet.
10. Abutters (see instructions; list on reverse side of form).
12. I hereby certify that information contained herein is true to the best of my knowledge.
Date—April 29,_1981 Applicant's Signature _ I =
F. ice—mut ve Director
For: Valley Health Plan, Inc.
Assessor's Map
j1. List of Abutters: Address Sheet No. Parcel
1, Laraia, Margaret L. 59 Maple St. , Florence MA 01060 23A 59.60
Omasta, Thomas & Helen B.
2. 27 Fox Farms Road, Florence, MA 01060 21A 61
Suburban Linoleum Co. , Inc.
3. 63 1/2 Maple St. , Florence, MA 01060 23A 62
Northampton Fire Station
4. Maple Street, Florence, MA 01060 23A 63
Burns, Adele E.
5. 77 Maple St. , Florence, MA 01060 23A 65
Bureau, John M.
6. 81 Maple St. , Florence, MA 01060 (Florence Savings Bank) 23A 67
Socony Mobil Oil Co. , Inc.
7 P-'-
Box 832, Valley Forge, PA 19482 23A 68
Spark;, Sohn T. S William E.
8. 92 Main St. , Florence, MA 01060 23A 69
First National Bank of Northampton, Inc.
9. 1 King St. , Northampton, MA 01060 23A 72
Blake Bros. Co.
10. 1855 Boston Road. N. Wilbraham, MA 01095 23A 7
Brida, Linda M.
11.50 Middle St. , Florence, MA 01060 23A 130
Cushing, Raymond H. & Everett, Donna L.
12.54 Middle S[. . Florence, MA 01060 23A 131
0 Brien, Rita M,
13, 45 Middle St. , Florence, MA 01060 23A 270
Brennan, James J. & Hazel E.
14 39 Middle St. , Florence, MA 01060 23A 271
Sicard, William J. & Ann Marie
15 31 Middle St. , Florence, MA 01060 23A 272
Sullivan, Paul W. & Tropp, Jessica R.
16. 49 Middle St. , Florence, MA 01060 (Florence Savings Bank) 23A 269
Fagnant, Theresa
1757 Middle St. , Florence, MA 01060 23A 257
Tatarzycki, Peter
18, 67 Main St. , Florence, MA 01060 17C 206
Rauch, Francis B. & Phyllis
19.910 Westhampton Road, Northampton, MA 01060 17C 207
Florence Savings Bank
20. 85 Main Street, Northampton, MA 01060 17C 211,212
Jasinski, Mitchell
21, 24 Powell St. , Florence, MA 01060 17C 213
22,
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28. n
29-
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(Attach additional sheets, it necessary) DET D D r - -•
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9. Set Forth Reasons Upon Which Application is Based:
9. a. The special permit use requested is listed in the Table of Use
Regulations at $5.2 page 5-9, paragraph 9 as permissible in a
general business district.
9. b. The requested use bears a positive relationship to the public
convenience or welfare in the following ways:
- Provides Northampton area residents and workers with the benefit
of the opportunity to choose HMO type health care that is accessible
and convenient to them west of the Connecticut River.
- Provides the 2,500 present members of Valley Health Plan, who live
and work in the Northampton area, with convenient local access to
their health care.
- Provides a community service and benefits the public welfare by
providing conveniently located health care to members covered
under Medicaid or the applicant's Premium Subsidy Program.
- Provides necessary, desired and useful economic growth and revi-
talization to the Northampton/Florence area.
- Provides long-term benefit to the public welfare in the creation
of an estimated 24 new jobs in the first year, growing to 39 jobs
in the third year of use. Most of these will be support staff -
positions for which recruitment will occur locally.
- Provides long-term benefit to the public welfare in terms of the
economic growth generated by annual operating monies which are
projected to be 1.6 million dollars in the first year, rising to
3.2 million dollars in the second vear.
- Provides a massive initial injection of funds connected with the
actual construction. This will provide a short-term booster benefit
that enhances the community's long-term economic growth.
- Provides significant revitalization of Main Street properties
located in central Florence through the demolition of several
dilapidated structures and replacement with a single modern
structure.
- Provides a public benefit through its supplement to and enhancement
of the landscape revitalization work proposed by the City for
Florence center.
- Provides more than adequate off-street parking, thus creating a
substantial community improvement without any detrimental impact
to on-street parking. _
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APR 2 91981
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Page 2
- Provides a public benefit in its overall improvement to the
general presentation of central Florence through substantial
upgrading of highly prominent property at no cost to the City.
9. c. The use requested will not create undue traffic congestion nor
unduly impair pedestrian congestion. It is expected that overall
traffic flow resulting from the described use will not be signifi-
cantly increased. Any increased pedestrian flow will also be
minimal in its impact on traffic flow. The City has adequately
provided for traffic in its revitalization plans for the Florence
area and appears to be planning even more pedestrian and bicycle
ways in the coming years.
9. d. The special permit use is not expected to overload or unduly impair
any drainage, public water or sewage system.
9. e. The special permit for a medical center is not covered by any special
regulation found in Article XI.
9. f_ The proposed use harmoniously enhances and revitalizes the character
and integrity of the area in which it is requested. The request is
also entirely consistent with the general business district in which
it is to be located, and is specifically recognized as permissable
in this district by the zoning bylaw.
The proposed medical facility will be bounded by banks, a restaurant/
bar, a linoleum retailer and the Northampton Fire Station. The only
adjoining zone that is not general business use bounds one short side
of the site; it is an urban residential zone buffered by deep back
lots.
The use will revitalize the site bringing it into accord with the
area in which it is located. The site presently contains three
dilapidated rental houses, an unkempt landscape and no paved off-
street parking. The proposed use will update and revitalize a
critical focal point of central Florence bringing the site into
harmony with the coexistent preservation and revitalization of the
village's central business district.
The proposed use as a health maintenance facility is a traditionally
recognized benefit to the public health and welfare. It is a use
that mixes advantageously in a central business district, providing
benefits to the area residents using the facility's services, and
the community at large through geographic and economic revitalization
of the area.
The proposed use furthers the general purpose of the Northampton
Zoning Ordinance by meeting its requirements as well as providing
a necessary and desirable public benefit to both the district
involved and the community at large. _
�' " APR 2 91981
Cecil I. Clark
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DUSTER POPEJLARSER JUSTER ARCHITECTS S PLANNERS NEW FACILITY STUDIES VALLEY .HEALTH PLAN
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STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF VALLEY HEALTH PLAN'S
REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT TO CONSTRUCT A
MEDICAL FACILITY AT 64-88 MAIN STREET, FLORENCE
Good evening. I am Frederick Rice , Executive Director of the
Valley health Pian. I am here tonight to represent the Plan
in its application for a special permit.
Let me begin by outlining some basic facts about VHF and its de-
cisicn to make its services more accessible and convenient to
people in the Northampton area.
Valley Health Plan is a group practice health maintenance organi-
zati.on (HMO) . The Plan is an alternative to traditional insurance-
t}ape health coverage. It gives particular emphasis to a coordinated
and preventive care approach. Our members receive most of their
health care at a single facility , from staff people who are part of
our medical groups . Of course , hospitalization and necessary specialty
care is covered.
Membership in VHP is entirely voluntary. Most area employers offer
VHP as an option to their employees. They may choose VHP or an
insurance plan. Some of our members are individuals who approach
us for membership during our annual Community Enrollment. We also
enroll Medicare and Medicaid persons. Valley Health Plan currently
serves about 14 ,000 members in the Pioneer Valley . About 2 ,500 of
these members live in the Northampton area .
In 1979 and 1980 we commissioned studies to determine whether
Northampton area residents felt the need for a VHP facility in
their z:ommuni.ty. As we suspected, our members in Northampton over-
whelmingly endorsed the idea. Of those people who were not members ,
about 458 indicated that they felt there is a need for a VHP center
in Northampton .
In planning for this facility west of the Connecticut River we
considered many sites in and around Northampton. We decided on the
2
Main Street , Florence site after much consideration of items such
as availability of public transportation, neighborhood character ,
automobile access to hilltowns , and the like. We are pleased and
comfortable with our decision to develop a medical facility in
Florence.
Since the onset of public discussion about VHP' s proposal we have
been encouraged by the strong and consistent community support for
the facility. I will hand out to the Board copies of many letters
we have received expressing this support. We were especially encour-
aged by the recent public forum held in Florence by Councilman O'Leary
to discuss our proposal . That forum was attended by about 40 people,
and all those who spoke were strongly in favor of VHP's move to the
area ,
we are pleased and proud to be able to make the option of VHP coverage
a real one for the many health care consumers in the Northampton area
who desire this type of care. In several reports prepared by the
Commonwealth, consumer satisfaction and cost-savings experienced by
HMOs , and VHP in particular, is well documented. Valley Health Plan
has been able to save the Commonwealth about $100 ,000 per year in
lower premiums for state employees . An estimated $1 ,000 ,000 additional
is saved each year by our state employee members in the portion of
premiums they nay as their share of health coverage.
I would like to discuss for a moment the particular property for
which we seek the special permit to construct a medical facility.
The parcel is numbered 70 and 71 at sheet 23A of the assessors map.
'Phis is in a general business zone. The land is bounded on its east
side by a nranch of the Pioneer National Bank and on its west by
Yesterdays Restaurant. The north end of the parcel is along Route
9 , the main thoroughfare through Florence. The south, or rear lot
line, t,orders a residential area which features back deep lots .
The land now has three old and dilapidated wood frame structures
occupying it .
3
Valley Health Plan' s proposed facility is shown on the site sketch
submitted with our application. The sketch was developed by our
architects , Juster-Pope/Larsen-Juster and we believe it meets or
surpasses all the Ordinance requirements for lot size, set backs,
and on-site parking.
The building proposed will be a little over 12 ,000 square feet. We
plan a one-story, masonry-type construction. The planned opening
date will be in the Fall of 1982 .
Lastly , let me go over the facts showing that the proposed medical
facility meets the criteria set out in the Ordinance at section 10.10
for approval of special permits. These facts are also detailed in
our application at item number 9.
The special permit use for a medical center is specifically authorized
in the Ordinance at section 5 .2 , page 9 , paragraph 9, as appropriate
in a general business district.
We are confident that the proposed use bears a positive relationship
to the public convenience and welfare. Some specific examples of
this benefit to the public good include the following: The oppor-
tunity of Northampton area residents and workers to choose prepaid
health care that is convenient and accessible to them west of the
Connecticut River, and the convenient local access to health care
services for our 2 , 500 members who live and work in the Northampton
area. It should also be noted that Valley Health Plan provides
comprehensive care to Medicaid persons and offers a Premium
Subsidy Program to a number of families who might not otherwise
be able to afford health care coverage.
In a more generic sense the proposed center will benefit the community
as a whole by providing a necessary , useful and desired revitalization
of a central and focal point in Florence. The property is something
of an eyesore at this time, has been for quite some time, and our
proposed revitalization of it seems most welcome by the neighboring
businesses and residents .
4
In an economic sense the proposal will benefit the area by producing
an estimated 24 new lobs in the first year, rising to 39 new jobs in
the third year of operation. Most of these positions will be for
support staff, thus local people will be recruited and hired. The
long-term economic benefits are that the influx of initial capital in
the area will spur further growth and revitalization of the area' s
economy .
We have been assured by the Department of Public Works that the
proposed ude will not create undue traffic congestion. The estimated
144 cars that will travel in and out of the property daily at the
end of three years is not significant in the overall traffic flow.
Additionally , the only driveway in and out of the property will be
located on the north end on Route 9, Main Street, which is quite
capable of handling this traffic flow.
The Public Works Department has also assured us that the proposal
does not pose an unnecessary burden in terms of water and sewage
use.
In conclusion , we strongly believe that the medical. facility proposed
meets all criteria and presents a harmonious enhancement of the
district in which it will be located. The proposed use as a health
maintenance facility is a traditionally recognized benefit to the
public health and welfare . It is a use that mixes in an especially
advantageous fashion in a central business district, providing
benefits to the area residents using the facility' s services, and
the community at large through aesthetic and economic revitalization
of the arca.
The proposed use furth,:�rs the general purpose of the Northampton
Zoning Ordinance by meeting its requirements as well as providing
a necessary and desirable public benefit to both the district
involved and the community at large.