Request for access to Bassett Rd has been WITHDRAWN!

Tonight at the Planning Board meeting, Chariman Chmiel announced that the application for removal of condition #5 (access to Bassett Rd) was withdrawn by the hospital, and would no longer be voted upon. Even still, the board wanted to put on the record the reasons that they would've had against it, and read:

"On 4/20/1978 the Amherst Planning Board approved the original site plan for an accessory medical clinic, the northerly office building at 1540 Maple Rd, and prohibited access to Bassett Rd, other than for emergency access. On 11/19/1992 the Amherst Planning Board approved an amendment to the aforementioned site plan retaining the condition to prohibit access to Bassett Rd, other than for emergency access. The relief of condition #5 (driveway connection onto Bassett Rd), if granted, would not significantly improve the vehicular level of service or safety on roadways adjacent to the development. No documentation or testimony was provided at the public hearing from the petitioner that there is a significant need for vehicular access to Bassett Rd for the operations of the hospital. The testimony, including but not limited to the video provided by members of the public at the public hearing held by the Amherst Planning Board on 3/19/2026 indicated that neighboring residents continue to present concerns for public safety along Bassett Rd that they attribute to motor vehicles speeding along Bassett Rd, and cutting through traffic that they attribute to the neighboring medical and nursing home facilities. And finally, testimony provided by the pastor of the neighboring church, St. Gregory the Great, to the East, that previously shared parking opportunities closer to the petitioner's principal building remain available for lease at no cost increase if the petitioner desires to provide convenient parking opportunity for its employees. Those are the reasons we wanted to put on the record had this gone to a decision, but it was withdrawn, and that is acknowledged."

Removal of condition #9 (requirement for offsite parking at St. Greg's) was approved. The hospital is no longer required to maintain the offsite parking while the 1540 building behind the hospital is inactive. However, should that building be refurbished for reuse, the hospital would have to go through additional approvals and assessment, including parking capacity.

Thank you to everyone in the neighborhood and the community for coming together to keep additional traffic out of our neighborhood. So many people provided data, history, documentation, advice, and support. This was a great outcome!