Why We Shouldn't Rezone for Lowe's

Do we want Hadley to look like West Springfield's Riverdale Road? We can vote "no" to more sprawl in Hadley at the Special Town Meeting, May 5th, 7 p.m. Hopkins Academy Gymnasium — don't rezone for Lowe's.

Hadley Overview		Route 9 todayphoto: AVarnon		Our Future?

Sprawl happens one development at a time; the choices we make today will affect our future. On January 17th, 2004, in the possibly the largest turnout to a Hadley town meeting in a decade, the Lowe's rezone failed by 7 votes to reach the required 2/3rds majority. Below are some of the reasons we gave to oppose the rezone.

Rezoning for Lowe's: "Yes" or "No?"

A point by point response to reasons frequently given for supporting the rezone. >>More.

Isn't One Million Sq. Ft. Enough?
Hadley already has over 1,000,000 square feet of mall space. How much will we have after the Lowe's and Home Depot are built? >>More.

An Open Letter to Hadley Voters

Some of the reasons we think you should vote no. Click here.

Results of a "Yes" or "No" Vote Hadley voters will be deciding on January 17th whether to change the zoning of 12.8 acres along Route 9 from agricultural/residential to business. >>More. Aerial Photo of the Bison Farm >>More.	A "No" Vote	A "Yes" Vote

Fiscal Impact Analysis for Proposed Lowe's Development in Hadley
A preliminary analysis shows a $5,000 difference between a "Yes" vote or a "No" vote. >>More.

How Big is 181,000 Square Feet?
The proposed Lowe's store that we would have with a rezone is the size of four football fields. See this page to get an idea of what size that really is. >>More.

What's Wrong With the Deal?
Hadley Neighbors has reviewed "The Deal" with the assistance of an experienced municipal lawyer and found several flaws with this agreement that call into question its enforceability . . . >>More.

Top Ten Questions about Lowe's "Front Build" Plan in Hadley
(with apologies to David Letterman)
Read why one Hadley resident thinks the front build-out plan is half-baked. >>More.

Lowe's Abutters Disappointed by Berm
Abutters of the proposed Lowe's in Hadley are disappointed with a berm proposed by developer Ronald G. Bronstein that is supposed to protect them from noise and traffic. >>More.

What Will It Cost?
Many towns across America are discovering that giant retail stores are no bargain. >>More.

In Hadley, Potential Third Vote on Rezoning for Lowe's Prompts More Questions
What's really happening in Hadley? Hadley Neighbor Dave Elvin offers an opinion in this Amherst Bulletin Op-ed piece. See article.

When a Giant Retailer Moves On, It Leaves its 'Big Box' Behind
What happens to those "big boxes" when the retail leaves? See article. In one Kentucky town, a Wal-Mart was torn down at taxpayers expense. >>More.

Is Hadley Getting a Fair Deal?
Hadley Neighbors has researched what other communities are requiring of developers who want to build Lowe's stores in their communities. Is Hadley getting enough? >>More.

What's So Bad About Spot Zoning?
Some have expressed concern to rezoning individual parcels with no concern for a broader plan. Read concerns by a former chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, plus two letters to the editor about a rezone gone wrong in another town. >>More.

Voting Recommendations Archive
Read some of the reasons we recommended voting no last time. Click here.