SOUTH HADLEY — Officials from the electronic paper company E Ink Corp. were in front of the Planning Board on Monday to present plans for an expansion of their Gaylord Street facilities.

In May 2021, E Ink purchased the building, where it had been leasing space since 2009. The company announced that it intended to expand its operations at the 80,000 square foot facility, and on Monday the company presented those plans to the town’s Planning Board.

The plans call for the demolition of a 7,600-square-foot section of the building, which would be replaced with a new manufacturing facility and small loading dock on the same site. There would also be an exterior "tank farm" for the chemicals Toluene and Isopar E, which E Ink uses to make its electronic device displays, as on e-book readers, that mimic paper.

Keith Jacobsen, an official from E Ink, said that a separate company currently makes those chemicals, which are then delivered to E Ink.

“Why make it elsewhere, let’s make it here,” Jacobsen said. “Hire people locally.”

In total, company officials said that the expansion would create between six and 10 new jobs in the first year of operation.

Anne Capra, South Hadley's director of planning and conservation, said that normally in the industrially zoned area where the facility is located, only a site plan review would be required for approval. However, this particular project will require a special permit and stormwater management permit from the town. 

“Some of the chemicals that will be stored and handled on site as part of this expansion are triggering a section of our zoning bylaw … which requires a special permit from the Planning Board,” Capra said.

Capra said that the town’s Conservation Commission recommended that the town engage an independent party to peer-review E Ink’s proposals for handling of chemicals, site plan and stormwater management.

At Monday’s meeting, board members asked questions about the plans, including some questions about how the company would prevent chemical leaks, releases or more catastrophic spills.

The Planning Board voted unanimously to engage a peer reviewer and to continue the hearing until Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m.

Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.]]>