Z1 is WRONG for Wellington Road and does not BELONG


O P I N I O N

THE SOAPBOX

Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.


The proposal for a 24/7 16-pump Z-1 Express gas station and convenience store plus a donuts shop at 55 Edward J Roy Drive and Wellington Road is going for a second vote with the

planning board on March 15. The first vote was a 3 to 3 tie vote. The question is how the 3 votes for yes happened.

There is only one entrance and exit into this gas station on a one-way street with 1,500 residential units all ready coming and going on Edward J Roy Drive. According to the NACS the average customers in and out is 1,100 a day. The three yes votes believe there will be no significance increase in traffic or delays at the lights or exit/entrance of gas station.

Home Values will go down being next to a gas station. Zillow.com stated that houses next to a gas station is No. 2 out 10 for deprecation of house values. The three yes votes do not believe that it will not be significant? Will they give residence the difference back?

Crime will go up in the neighborhood. According to the FBI’s Website report for Crime in 2016 in the United States. Gas stations accounted for 2.9 percent of the crime and convenience stores 6.2 percent in the United States. There are not any business in this neighborhood. This does not matter to the three yes votes since its not their neighborhood.

The proposed site is not zoned for a gas station. This gas station does not fit into the character of the neighborhood and will be directly in view of the Stone Terrace condos to see. The three yes votes think it’s OK to look out your windows from October to the end of March since there are no leaves on the trees to see the gas station. Instead of the beautiful woodlands and all the birds and animals that live there now. Then will be displaced to “find their own way” as was stated at the planning meeting. Lets not forget about the increase in noise pollution that will happen. Again the three yes votes can not hear the noise from their houses.

How can this be allowed to happen? The overwhelming objection from the residents of the neighborhood does not matter. The safety concern of the increased traffic coming in off Wellington Road onto Edward J Roy Drive to enter and exit the gas station on a one-way street do not matter. The increase in accidents on a corner that has a high amount off accidents already do not matter. The safety concern for kids at the bus stops along Edward J Roy Drive with increased traffic do not matter.

Does the increased revenue the town of Manchester outweigh what is right?

There is a reason the site was not zoned for a gas station. Does that matter?

What seems to matter to the three yes votes is the above factors do not effect them personally, so its OK.

Thank you to the three no votes!! It does matter to you!


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Lance Steinberg has lived in Manchester since 2013.