Jam, North East Fitness have plans for firehouse

SALISBURY — The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) heard two proposals for commercial use of the old firehouse on Sharon Road Tuesday, Feb. 19 — one for a take-out food business, the other for a health and wellness center.Amy Schuchat, attorney for Alex Elliott and Lee Kennedy, owners of the Jam food shop currently operating in the Sharon Farm Market, went first. She explained that Jam has been successful at the present location, but would like more space.She said the owners envision a Lakeville Jam as primarily a take-out business, but with the possibility of some seating.Schuchat also said the Jam owners would like to provide space for local artisans to sell their wares, and mentioned the possibility of a farmers market (in season) and evening cooking classes.Schuchat said the Jam owners were not especially interested in the white building at 9A Sharon Road, also town-owned, but if it were decided that the two parcels should be sold together, then the Jam owners would be willing to consider that.Schuchat also said that Elliott and Kennedy are open to the idea of creating apartments on the second floor of the old firehouse.P&Z member Allen Cockerline said, “I don’t see anything here that would conflict with our POCD [Plan of Conservation and Development].”P&Z Chairman Michael Klemens agreed, saying, “This is the kind of proposal we’ve been waiting to see.”The second proposal was from Bill Burke-Meskill, the new owner of the North East Fitness and Wellness center in Millerton. Burke-Meskill said he had recently moved to Salisbury and relocating the business to Lakeville “would cut down on my commute,” to general laughter.He said he was interested in both the firehouse and the adjacent white building. He anticipated leaving the garage doors as is, and using the white building for classes — spinning, yoga, Pilates, nutrition, even a doctor’s office.“My philosophy is a very comprehensive approach,” he said, adding that his current clientele is mostly male.He said he would like to expand his client base to women and seniors, which fits in with his background as a physical therapist specializing in geratric patients.Klemens asked if there is enough room in the old firehouse and Burke-Meskill said yes.Klemens and Zoning Enforcement Officer Nancy Brusie noted that the old firehouse is currently in an LI20 zone, for light industry, and a facility such as Burke-Meskill described would not be allowed.But Marty Whalen noted that the LI20 zone was established when there were in fact light industries in that area, but those businesses are long gone. After some discussion the commissioners agreed that a zoning change, to General Commercial (GC20) would be appropriate in any case, and asked Brusie to ask town planner Tom McGowan to draft a new regulation to that effect.At the beginning of the meeting Klemens explained that, after consulting with First Selectman Curtis Rand, it was determined that people with firehouse proposals should come to P&Z first, to get a sense of whether the commission thought a proposed use was consistent with the POCD’s goal of providing new vitality in the downtown Lakeville area.This reverses the order in which town officials are approached. Up to now, interested parties have started with the first selectman’s office, and in one case the P&Z members did not give the proposal their blessing.But on Tuesday evening, the commission endorsed both the Jam and North East Fitness and Wellness ideas.The next step for both parties is to submit a formal offer to the town.The final sale of the old firehouse and white building will be decided at town meeting.