Adaptive Reuse at Planning and Zoning

The theme of tonight's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting is "Adaptive Reuse".

The owners of two properties are applying to convert historic downtown houses into offices, and the owner of a property near the Foodmart on Rte 66 is applying to convert a daycare into offices. Meanwhile, the owner of a property in the Interstate Trade zone in Westfield is applying to convert vacant professional offices into residential apartments.

These four different applications are unconnected, and the Commissioners must consider each in isolation, on its own merit. However, there seems to be a pattern to the applications: 3 owners of properties near other businesses want to convert housing or daycare to professional offices, while the owner of a property on the outskirts of town wants to convert professional offices into housing.

Here are the 4 properties (links are to application materials):

1. 196 College Street: Historic adaptive reuse to convert 2nd and 3rd floors to office use (Planning Dept. Staff Comments).
2. 9 Camp Street: Change of use for a daycare center to a professional office.
3. 861 Middle Street: Historic adaptive reuse to convert vacant professional office space into 3 one-bedroom apartments.
4. 59 Broad Street: Historic adaptive reuse to convert 3-family dwelling into an insurance office (note: this will be scheduled for a hearing, and will NOT be discussed tonight).

Also on the agenda for tonight is the long-awaited discussion (and voting?) about Commission By-Laws.