PEABODY — Traffic concerns have been a persistent problem on Lynnfield Street, according to residents; unfortunately, it may become a bigger issue in the future.
A freight-forwarding company called Forward Air has proposed plans to demolish the existing buildings currently located at 13 Corwin St. and construct a 61,000-square-foot shipping terminal. The property abuts Lynnfield Street and presently is the home of Stahl Chemical.
Approximately 75 concerned residents, along with Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr., state Rep. Thomas Walsh (D-Peabody), state Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem), several city councilors and several members of the Forward Air’s development team, including its primary representative, Jake Citron, met at a community meeting recently to discuss the project.
Many attendees expressed their concerns about Forward Air’s plans to construct a 61,000-square-foot shipping terminal.
Bettencourt said he grew up in the area, stating that neither he nor his Community Development Department was in support of this proposal.
Ward 3 Councilor-elect Stephanie Peabody said she, too, grew up in the area and that her parents still reside in the Lynnfield Street area.
“I was glad to see a neighborhood meeting this early in the process,” she said. “One of the things I based my campaign on was getting people involved and informed early. In past projects, it seemed that residents didn’t get looped in until much later when it was too late.”
Nonetheless, Peach said she has serious concerns about the volume of traffic the project will generate.
“I hope the company can come up with a better solution than having so many freight trucks in that area,” she said.
Walsh agreed, saying on Friday that, “Corwin Street is barely wider than a driveway and cannot accommodate that type of truck traffic entering and exiting onto Lynnfield Street.
“Although we would love to have Forward Air move to Peabody, it will only work if they find an appropriate location more suitable to their business and less obtrusive to abutting neighborhoods.”
Ward 1 Councilor Craig Welton also gave his two cents, telling attendees that Forward Air is currently before the Conservation Commission to address potential wetlands issues. According to Welton, Forward Air will have to bring its proposal to the Planning Board for approval, which could result in a potential appearance before the Zoning Board of Appeals if there are zoning issues.
Forward Air is currently located near Logan Airport. Representatives of the company said they wanted to relocate to Peabody because six of the company’s top clients have moved to the city. Representatives reassured residents that they do not foresee business growth, but rather only wish to be closer to the company’s clients.
The front of the terminal building would face Corwin Street. There will be approximately 60 loading bays, which will be located on either side of the building. The facility will operate 24 hours, with the last truck presence at 1 a.m. and the first truck presence at 4 a.m.
Forward Air’s traffic engineer also spoke at the meeting. He stated that the construction of the new facility would result in 308 truck trips per day ― 154 in, and 154 out. He stated that he considered this a minimal increase in comparison to the number of daily commuter trips already made on Lynnfield Street, which he quoted as approximately 13,500 vehicles per day. He addressed a traffic study that was completed by the city two years ago and stated that Forward Air would like to contribute financially to address some of the issues from the study.
Forward Air also touched upon environmental and flood concerns, specifically in regards to Goldthwaite Brook. Forward Air representatives said the new building would take less land area than the current configurations at the site, adding that new utilities would help mitigate some flooding issues.
This is not a “by-right” project, which means it will also need special permits from the ZBA. Each city board must hear the proposal and approve the applicant before they appear before the council and it will require a minimum of eight councilors to approve the project to pass. If it does not pass, the applicant has the right to appeal to either Superior Court or Land Court.
“Although there was no real resolution to resident concerns, it was good to have this initial meeting,” Councilor-at-Large Jon Turco said after the meeting. “The hope is that Forward Air will resolve some or all of them before appearing before the council.
“With that said, it is very important that when they do appear, residents should attend to state their concerns publicly for the benefit of the council in our deliberations and also for the record if a decision of the council is appealed,” he added.
Peach said she was glad that Welton and Turco reached out to Forward Air to arrange for the meeting.
“It’s good they could do that to give the neighbors the chance to engage early, rather than later so that issues like this could be addressed,” she said. “I know it’s a long way off before it gets to the City Council, but it’s important to have participation from the beginning.”
