EASTHAMPTON — After a year of public hearings, back-and-forth with traffic engineers on a proposed intersection and discussion with community stakeholders, the Planning Board voted to approve a proposed multimillion-dollar retail and housing development at the former Tasty Top site off Route 10.

“Someone asked, what does Easthampton get? We get more people in our community,” said Planning Board member Christopher Cockshaw. “That will increase our school attendance; it will increase our tax base. It provides affordable housing. I think that there are a lot of benefits to this project.”

The $26 million to $30 million Sierra Vista Commons complex, being proposed by developer Frank A. DeMarinis, calls for an approximately 9,000-square-foot learning center, a 7,000-square-foot gymnastics center, one restaurant, one bank, three mixed-use retail/office buildings with apartments above and two 13,600-square-foot mixed-use warehouse buildings.

The 33-acre development at 93-97 Northampton St. also calls for 202 apartments, at least 37 of which would be designated as affordable and spread across eight 18-unit buildings in addition to two of the mixed-use buildings. DeMarinis has expressed interest in increasing the number of affordable units if state and other funding becomes available.

On Tuesday evening, the board read through and discussed a 46-page decision document compiled in advance of the meeting. The document includes summaries of all 12 public hearings on the project and details how it meets requirements under the the city’s zoning ordinance.

“The review of the project by the city has been extensive,” said City Planner Jeffrey Bagg, who added that the board’s decision is based on 11 months of public hearings and nearly 18 hours of testimony.

“Over the long term, the property will generate much-needed new tax revenue, which is what the city needs to grow services residents expect, and will gradually provide much-needed affordable and market-rate apartments in an area of the city close to public transportation,” Bagg said.

If all goes to plan, the complex will be constructed in phases over the next six to eight years. Bagg said that work will likely begin on the project six to 12 months from now, and it will take another nine to 12 months after that until the first building — likely the Roots Gymnastics and day care building — is completed.

Public input

Since the project was first proposed in November 2022, it has received extensive community input, both in favor of and against.

Though the Planning Board did not accept further public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, letters sent to the board in advance of the meeting contained similar sentiments as comments made throughout the process: support for increased housing, tax revenue and jobs, as well as criticism about environmental and traffic impacts.

“I cannot imagine clogging Route 10 with further traffic; it makes no sense to me,” wrote Dana Salisbury. “I am not against affordable housing, but not at the expense of livability for everyone else. … The placement and scale of this development is poor.”

Another resident, Jane Jones, wrote, “Aside from the gross misuse of this land and its detriment to the environment, the negative impact that heavy traffic will have on Easthampton’s citizens is real.”

In support of the project, Tom Brown, a member of the Easthampton Economic Development and Industrial Commission, wrote, “This project offering housing, affordable housing, a gymnastics center, learning center and retail and commercial space checks all the boxes. … This property is zoned by the City of Easthamtpon for exactly what this project will deliver.”

At the meeting, Planning Board member Daniel Hartman responded to public input throughout the past year.

“I think this process this year has shown a lot of passion from the city. … There’s traffic, there’s environmental issues, there’s engineering issues, there’s so many things … affordable housing and housing inventory in general,” said Hartman. “Trust me when I say all the voices were heard and cared for and thought about to the best of practical ability.”

Cockshaw added, “Yes, there are impacts to our land, but if you look at Easthampton and you look at the actual open space, the mountain and all the trails … this project doesn’t take away from that. There’s still beautiful views in our city.”

As for traffic concerns, Bagg said the project “should align with a redevelopment of Northampton Street by MassDOT to mitigate the existing traffic congestion and enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety.”

The board, in consultation with traffic engineers, has also expressed support for constructing a proposed roundabout to handle an expected increase in traffic; the state Department of Transportation will have the final say on that proposal.

Next steps for the project include obtaining approval from the Conservation Commission, which is nearing the end of a 12-month process with the project and plans to vote at its next meeting on Nov. 27; review by MassDOT on traffic and road plans; and working with the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office.

Mayor Nicole LaChapelle said in a statement that the Planning Board’s “careful consideration” and “adept balancing of present and future needs in Easthampton” is reflected in their approval of the project.

“I extend my gratitude to them and the public for their engagement in what was sometimes a challenging process,” LaChapelle said.

Maddie Fabian can be reached at mfabian@gazettenet.com.