NORTHAMPTON — A joint meeting between the Northampton City Council’s Committee on Legislative Matters and the city’s Planning Board heard public comments on a petition to ban further automobile dealerships near the city’s downtown, an issue that proved divisive for both bodies.

The petition was spurred by a proposed Volvo dealership to be built on an expansive, currently vacant lot on King Street, next to the Foster Farrar hardware store. The 5.35-acre site comprising two parcels at 171-187 King St. was last home to Don Lia’s Honda dealership. Contaminated soil at the lot hindered its reuse for many years after it was vacated by the dealership in 2005, until a cleanup was performed on the site in 2015. 

The petition, signed by 16 city residents, requests that the city’s Central Business Gateway District guidelines be changed to ban “selling, leasing, renting automobiles and/or used automobiles and trucks, new automobile tires and other accessories, boats, motorcycles and household camping trailers” within the district. According to state law, any proposed zoning change may be initiated via a petition signed by at least 10 residents in the city.

Currently, the Northampton district in question allows auto dealerships through a special permitting process.

There are two separate areas in the city designated with Central Business Gateway District zoning, with one stretching along a section of King Street roughly between the intersections at North Street and Church Street, and the other on Pleasant Street between the intersections at Michelman Avenue and Dyke Road.

Several car dealerships for brands including Toyota, Honda Hyundai and Volkswagen exist further up King Street, outside of the district. Although there are no dealerships currently within the zoning district, there are several auto repair and tire shops, although existing locations would be unaffected by the proposed zoning change.

People speaking in favor of the zoning change during the joint meeting said they felt the property would be better suited for housing or a local business, and could also help meet the city’s climate goals.

“I’m inspired by the capacity for this lot on King Street to become housing and to become a destination that’s walkable as we continue to face a climate crisis,” said Julia Riseman, a city resident who spoke during the joint meeting. “Its location is so close to the rail trail, so close to downtown and so close to many vital businesses, it would be a lost opportunity to turn it over to a spot for cars to be sold.”

Others voiced their opposition to the measure, saying a new dealership could also potentially help the city’s sustainability goals, such as one that sold electric vehicles and provided charging stations.

“The fact that it could be an automobile dealership is not in conflict with what the the goals and values of Northampton are,” said Owen Mitz, who also spoke during public comment.

Carolyn Misch, the city’s planning and sustainability director, noted during the meeting that Carla Cosenzi, president of the TommyCar Auto Group, had already purchased the property in question, and could therefore be granted an exception even if the proposed zoning change took effect.

“This request really wouldn’t affect the property that people are talking about,” Misch said. “There are mechanisms and tools that are specifically written into the statutes that allow investors to be able to be assured that when they make an investment, they can avail themselves of the opportunities that are in the zoning at that moment.”

Cosenzi also spoke at the meeting, defending the company’s plans to develop the property into a dealership. She said all cars at the Volvo business would be 100% electric.

“It’s been sitting vacant for a very long time and everybody’s had an opportunity to invest in it and no one did,” Cosenzi said. “I shop local, so do my employees. I employ over 170 people in this community. I bring people in when they buy a car, they go out to dinner in Northampton when they’re waiting for their car to be serviced.”

The legislative matters committee approved a neutral recommendation for the zoning change to send back to the City Council, while the Planning Board voted not to support the petition request. Neither vote was unanimous, with the Planning Board split 4-2 and the legislative matters committee split 2-1, with two voting neutral and one voting positive.

“I don’t want to see necessarily another similar car dealership there, but I think changing those rules right now is not a fair way to do it,” said Planning Board member Samuel Taylor, who voted against supporting the measure.

Ward 7 councilor Rachel Maiore, who voted for a positive recommendation, said that she felt an auto dealership didn’t fit in with the city’s sustainability plans.

“There’s no way that an auto dealership is going to fit with that plan,” she said. “We want our city to evolve, and our decision-making has to evolve with it.”

The zoning change request now heads to the City Council, which will vote to approve or reject it at a future meeting.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.