SPRINGFIELD – A plan to install a 5,000-gallon diesel tank to fuel Peter Pan buses sparked a City Council debate Monday about the role that the area’s neighborhood council should take in the project.
The request for a fuel storage permit for the Peter Pan Bus Lines garage on 11 Liberty St. was relatively routine, especially since the company had two 8,000-gallon underground tanks on the property until 2018 when they were removed due to federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
Since then, Peter Pan has used a 500-gallon temporary tank to fuel some of its buses, but it recently removed that as well, said Frank Fitzgerald II, the lawyer representing Peter Pan.
“This is really so Peter Pan can get back to operational efficiency and reduce their fuel costs,” Fitzgerald said.
Currently, the buses have to be fueled at a gas station, which is inefficient and more expensive because it is paying retail rather than wholesale prices, he said.
The Fire Department signed off on the proposal, saying the plan was safe. The company is also required to install two leak detection alarms, have the tanks inspected every three years at a minimum and take other safety precautions, officials said.
But City Councilor Maria Perez, who represents the Liberty Street area, said she was concerned the plan had not come before the Metro Center Association, since any projects requiring permits are typically reviewed by neighborhood councils.
“I would recommend for them to go before the council at this point because I’m pretty sure they would have some questions they would like to address,” Perez said. “It’s better as a protocol so they can give feedback.”
Although officials said diesel is not as explosive as natural gas or gasoline, Perez pointed out it is still flammable and neighbors in the area have seen several large fires in the recent past.
It was not brought before the neighborhood council because that isn’t a requirement of a fuel storage permit application, which goes through the Fire Department instead of the Planning Department. It was not something Peter Pan was trying to avoid, said Philip Dromey, the city’s deputy director of planning and economic development.
But the issue sparked an hour-long debate among nearly all members of the City Council who weighed how to balance supporting a business while ensuring neighbors are given a chance to give input.
City Councilor Lavar Click-Bruce also questioned if the city should review the rules on fuel storage permit applications so neighborhood councils are included in the process.
In the end, the City Council voted 11-2 to delay the vote until its next meeting on May 12 so the plan can be brought to the Metro Center Association.
“I’m happy they did that. I’ll look forward to it,” said Betsy Johnson, president of the association.
While the permit is seemingly routine, Johnson said almost any changes can have a larger impact on long-term planning.
But Council Vice President Tracye Whitfield said it is important Springfield show it is business friendly and questioned if Peter Pan’s plans should be delayed.
She also asked if it is necessary to bring it to the Metro Center Association since it is on private property and replacing past tanks.
City Councilor Melvin Edwards said the EPA is moving away from underground storage tanks and has been requiring gas station owners across the city to replace aging ones with above ground tanks. Because of that, he proposed a compromise.
“Maybe we grant the permit with the condition that they do meet with the neighborhood council,” he said. “The council deserves the courtesy and the respect in being able to know what is going on.”
Fitzgerald said he was happy to meet with residents and answer questions but said the company is ready to install the tanks as soon as the permit is granted.
But other councilors questioned if going to the neighborhood council after the fact is really giving residents a chance to give their input.
City Councilor Sean Curran agreed Peter Pan has been a good business in the city for more than 90 years and questioned if a delay of a few weeks will have that big an impact on the company.
“I think neighborhood councils deserve the respect of being asked,” he said. “This is not a small matter. This is a 5,000-gallon tank.”