PEABODY — The city’s Planning Board voted unanimously to approve a site plan review for the transportation company Forward Air to build a 61,000-square-foot shipping terminal on 13 Corwin St.
Attorney John Keilty said the next step after the site plan review is to go to Peabody City Council and ask for a special permit for land use. He said there will also be a meeting with elected officials both at the local and state levels to address concerns with the proposal.
“We are proposing a meeting with the mayor’s office and with members of the statehouse,” said Keilty. “Specifically with Rep. Tom Walsh (D-Peabody) and Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem).”
The plan to build a 61,000-square-foot shipping terminal has received scrutiny and concern from members of the community as well as elected officials. A coalition of 75 residents and members of City Hall and the statehouse delegation met with representatives from Forward Air to explain their worries with the project, such as increased traffic on Lynnfield Street.
Keilty said he hopes the meeting will be able to clear up any worries or concerns that residents might have about the project. He also said the plan has a number of conditions that are to be followed.
“We have eight conditions in our proposal,” Keilty said. “One of them is traffic oriented. After 18 months of occupying the area, we look at traffic suggestions to determine if our estimates for parking are true.”
The site plan review approval was originally set for Jan 6. but was pushed back to Jan. 20 due to City Engineer William Paulitz being on vacation at that time. Paulitz made an appearance via Zoom at the meeting with Keilty to answer any questions from board members about the process.
One question Planning Board member Joe Gagnon asked to Keilty was in regards to seed money that would be used for improving the roads and area around Lynnfield and Corwin streets, and if the city would determine the term “off-site use” as a way to use the funds in other areas such as West Peabody.
“It is focused on that area,” Keilty said. “Originally, I suggested that we use the term ‘nexus’ to avoid confusion but it is what it is.”
Paulitz confirmed Keilty’s statement and affirmed that the funds would not be used anywhere else.
Keilty said the $185,000 worth of seed money would allow for more flexibility in improvement spending, as it would have less of a constraint if another problem or piece of infrastructure needs to be addressed.
Keilty said he will visit the City Council next month to discuss the special permit.