Belchertown Planning Board advances Pelham Road housing project with traffic conditions

BELCHERTOWN -- June 9, 2026, Belchertown Planning Board moves toward approving a nine-unit Pelham Road rental development, contingent on a right-turn-only exit and improved pedestrian access. At the June 9 third public hearing on the project by 50 Federal Operating Company, LLC, the board reached consensus on requiring the applicant to install a right-turn-only sign and pavement markings at the Pelham Road exit onto Federal Street, working with the Department of Public Works on installation. The board's peer reviewer Ty and Bond, the Water District, and DPW all issued final no-further-comment letters. A traffic study by Hussaini Design Group found the project would add 140 average daily trips and project the left-turn from Pelham Road onto Federal Street declining from Level of Service C to D by 2033 regardless of the project. The board also required the applicant to revise its maintenance plan to include ADA-compliant pedestrian paths to the dumpster and rear sidewalk year-round. A second agenda item, an ANR subdivision review at 447 South Washington Street for applicant Rhodes and Jansen, was pulled before the meeting due to survey plat errors.