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Holyoke DGR continues driveway permit hearing, schedules other matters for Feb. 23 and April 27
Summary
On Jan. 26 the Holyoke DGR committee continued a special permit public hearing for a driveway at 17 Myrtle Ave to Feb. 23, set another multi-continued hearing for April 27 to allow MassDEP/Board of Health drawings, and deferred FY2026 OPA grant review to Feb. 23.
The Holyoke development, government & neighborhoods (DGR) committee on Jan. 26 continued several agenda items to give applicants and staff time to complete required technical submissions.
The committee opened a public hearing on a special permit request from applicant Cindy Eli for a front-yard parking pad or driveway at 17 Myrtle Ave. Eli told the committee her original submission proposed a 20‑by‑18‑foot parking pad, but the city engineer would not approve that configuration; she said she now plans to submit a typical 10‑foot‑wide driveway similar to the neighboring house. "It would have been 20 feet wide by 18 feet long," Eli said when describing the original pad proposal.
Committee members and staff advised Eli to have a revised, engineered drawing reviewed by the city engineer before the next DGR meeting. "Let me suggest to Cindy that she take that revised drawing to our city engineer first," a committee member said, noting that if the drawing complies with zoning ordinances the city engineer is likely to approve it.
The committee voted to continue the public hearing on the 17 Myrtle Ave request to Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. so the applicant can submit updated drawings and staff can review them.
Separately, the committee discussed a different public hearing on the agenda that participants said had been continued multiple times because required drawings for MassDEP and the Board of Health were missing or insufficient. Staff said the matter had been continued about six times but that no substantive hearings had occurred because the necessary paperwork and drawings had not been provided. The committee voted to continue that item to April 27 at 6:30 p.m. to allow applicants extra time to complete filings for MassDEP and public-health review.
Finally, the Office of Community Development asked to postpone consideration of FY2026 OPA grant applications while a citizens advisory committee finishes vetting applicants. The DGR committee moved the grant discussion to the Feb. 23 DGR agenda so the advisory committee’s recommendations can be considered together.
The committee adjourned after scheduling these matters; the next DGR meeting was listed as Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m.
