Plaistow ZBA continues hearing on proposed Amazon trailer parking after noise and traffic concerns

The Plaistow Zoning Board of Adjustment on Sept. 26 continued a public hearing on application 24-8, a request by Strategic Real Estate Management LLC to use 45 Westfield Road as a private parking facility for tractor-trailers leased to Amazon. The board asked for additional noise-monitoring data and other information before taking a decision; the hearing was continued to Oct. 31.

The applicant’s representatives, including attorney Patricia Pansiaco and civil consultant Jim Hanley, told the board the site is a roughly 3.8-acre parcel with about 2.2 acres of paved area formerly operated as a state park-and-ride. They said Amazon would use the lot as a satellite parking area, with the company estimating 10–14 trailer exchanges per day and a peak of no more than two per hour. "They have modified their business plan and have agreed that there won't be any truck traffic going in and out of the site between 12 at night and 5 o'clock in the morning," Pansiaco said.

As mitigation, the applicant added a screening fence (poly-coated chain link with screening), a 12-by-12 guard shack at the entrance, onsite porta-potty, and a stormwater operations plan that calls for twice-yearly catch-basin inspections as well as inspections after storms exceeding 2 inches. Hanley said the plan requires off-site removal of excess snow if on-site snow storage capacity is exceeded and indicated lighting would be limited to existing poles rehabbing to comply with town rules.

Noise was the central technical issue raised. Brian Rempert of RPF Environmental presented both theoretical calculations using manufacturer backup-alarm specifications and real-world measurements taken at the site. He said a worst-case calculation produced about 62.2 decibels at the nearest receptor, and that real-world measurements at multiple locations ranged roughly from 55.9 to 63.8 decibels depending on distance and local traffic. "So we expect to have 62.2 decibels right there," he said, describing the calculation. Rempert also said he measured an actual alarm at about 91 decibels and that manufacturer specs cited 97–102 dB; he characterized his use of the 102-dB figure as a conservative, worst-case assumption for calculations.

Board members and residents noted the town's residential nighttime noise limit cited in the discussion is 62 dB. Several residents questioned whether the measured and calculated levels would exceed the residential standard in actual night-time conditions and whether other contributing noises (road traffic, trains) could push levels higher. One resident, Gary Denson, pressed the applicant about the type of backup alarm and the effectiveness of a roughly 6-foot fence, asking, "What's it gonna sound like with 60 trucks?" The applicant said the trucks and screening would reduce measured sound in many places but agreed to provide fuller data.

On traffic, Hanley and the applicant's traffic consultant said the anticipated 28 daily vehicle trips (14 in, 14 out) are far smaller than theoretical traffic that could have been generated by the prior park-and-ride (an estimated 840 trips for a 260-space facility). They also noted constraints on maneuvering at the site and said the plan provides an entrance-only and exit-only configuration with a right-turn-only exit.

Residents also raised stormwater and roadway-safety concerns, submitted video of truck maneuvers and asked whether local emergency services were incorporated into the site's emergency response plan. The applicant said the site-specific emergency plan will identify local police and fire contacts, that the Plaistow fire chief had been consulted and expressed no concerns, and that the plan includes trained on-site personnel and contacts with regional spill-response firms when necessary.

The board accepted the applicant's offer to provide a supplemental noise-monitoring report and the raw data log (including minute-by-minute measurements), and asked for clearer documentation about backup-alarm types, measured decibel levels at night and any further clarifications about traffic and stormwater controls. The board continued the matter to Oct. 31 to allow time for those materials to be reviewed.

The hearing record includes the application identifier (24-8), the applicant (Strategic Real Estate Management LLC / 45 Westfield Road Realty LLC), and the primary public concerns raised: noise ordinance compliance, fence/screening effectiveness, truck maneuvering and roadway safety, and potential effects on nearby property values. The board did not vote on the variance at the Sept. 26 meeting.