Holyoke - City Councilor Kevin Jourdain announced today that he thanked Mayor Sullivan for vetoing the proposed zone change slated for 15 Holy Family Road in order to place a mental health facility there operated by the Behavioral Health Network.
One month ago, the City Council voted 10-5 in favor of the proposal despite the unanimous recommendation of the Planning Board to deny the proposal. Mayor Sullivan vetoed the measure and the Council tabled the veto override until April 15, 2008 for further study.
Among the many reasons I oppose the zone change, they are:
1) The increased traffic demands on this secondary road that will be created by the placement of this facility would be detrimental to area.
2) It is incompatible to the neighborhood and the neighboring elementary school.
3) There are insufficent safeguards in place and presented in the proposal to ensure the safety of children and others using the nearby park.
4) Holyoke has far exceeded its capacity and ability to take on yet another non-profit, non-taxing paying social service agency and it is best suited elsewhere. Holyoke is far beyond the saturation point to healthily manage yet another facility of its type in the city.
5) There are many other far superior uses presently available to the owner of the parcel under its current zoning that would be compatible to the neighborhood and more beneficial to the neighborhood. Thereby, making it unnecessary to change the zone.
6) The opposition of the Mayor and unanimous Planning Board should be given considerable deference whenever considering a zone change.
Councilors Jourdain, Whelihan, McGee, O'Neill and Leahy were the 5 Councilors who voted NO on this zone change. I encourage citizens to voice their thoughts to the other 10 Councilors in the hope that 6 of the 15 Councilors will vote to sustain the Mayor's veto.
For more information, please do not hesitiate to call or email me.
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