CHICOPEE — About a dozen residents expressed their displeasure with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts headquarters at a recent Planning Board meeting, accusing the charity of causing nuisances in the neighborhood.
At the beginning of September, the food bank completed a move from Hatfield to its new location at 25 Carew St. in Chicopee, a location that gives it the ability to accept more food.
Leading the charge was Julie L’Heureux of Carew Street, who passed around copies of a printed presentation titled “The Failure of Western Mass Food Bank to be a Good Neighbor.”
The presentation included photographs of instances where operations at the food bank caused inconvenience to residents, photos such as tractor-trailer drivers failing to use the East Main Street entrance and clogged stormwater drainage systems that caused some of the residents’ backyards to flood in recent downpours.
“I am in complete support of the mission statement of the food bank,” L’Heureux said before the meeting. “What I am asking is that the food bank be a good neighbor, and they have failed repeatedly.”
David Terault, who has lived on his property along Carew Street for the past 18 years, said the bollard lights are bright enough to shine into his home, even when he closes the shades.
The complaints of the residents were directed towards Andrew Morehouse, executive director of the food bank, who originally attended the meeting in hopes of getting 10 proposals for the location approved.
However, the city’s planning board only approved one proposal, which was the food bank’s plan to enhance the property’s landscape by planting trees, and taking other cautionary steps to prevent further stormwater from running off its property.
Due to the effects of the stormwater runoff from the property into nearby properties, the food bank was placed under an enforcement order by the Conservation Commission on Oct. 4, an order which will be reviewed on Oct. 18 to ensure their drainage systems are working properly.
The other nine site proposals, which include installing solar panels on the roof of the building, a bicycle rack and a storage space for equipment, were tabled and will be revisited at the next planning board meeting on Nov. 28.
Morehouse said he would look into having bollard lights turned off by 6:30 p.m. and shield the ones facing the neighbors. Morehouse also said he will have bigger signage at the food bank’s East Main Street entrance to better direct delivery drivers and make them aware of when they stop taking deliveries, which is 2:30 p.m.
In addition, signage will be placed at its Carew Street entrance to prevent delivery drivers from causing any traffic concerns for the residents.
“What happens is that a lot of trucks come to the food bank unannounced or are directed to us without our knowledge whatsoever,” Morehouse said. “They just come in the middle of the night or the end of the day and we know nothing about them until they show up on our door.”
After the meeting, Morehouse said the food bank will be working with Mountain View Landscaping to enhance the property.
