Save Hampden: No Self-storage!

Please donate to help save the rural character of small-town America! Hampden, Massachusetts is a rural town with a population of 5177 and was the home of noted conservationist and children’s author, Thornton W. Burgess. The residents of Hampden oppose the construction of 500+ self-storage units being proposed by two different developers in an area abutting three residential neighborhoods. At one time the area was a working nursery/farm and is now home to an abundance of wildlife and vegetation. Time is of the essence as the Planning Board is scheduled to discuss the proposals in two separate meetings (July 28 and August 11, 2021). Our goal is to be represented at both meetings by legal counsel who can present to the Planning Board qualified objections to each project. This is our last chance to save Hampden’s rural character for future generations. Your contribution to this GoFundMe campaign will help pay for the lawyer’s fees. 

The residents of Hampden are not against business development and have shown time and time again that they support appropriate and responsible projects that better the community and its rural landscape. Hampden already has a self-storage facility, which is located in the industrial area of town, not in an area of residential homes. Our concerns are many but the most pressing include the following:

Crime and Public Safety

Crime and public safety are of major concern, especially for the residents abutting both projects. The self-storage units will literally be in people’s backyards. According to Choi Chow, Senior Marketing Manager of Corodata, crime “happens all the time and usually in big numbers” with multiple units being broken into on a single night. In July 2020 a storage facility in Nashville, Tenn. caught fire in what investigators believed to be a meth lab operating inside one of the storage units. In Weymouth, MA a funeral director was arrested after authorities found he had stored dead bodies in a storage unit. And closer to home, one of the largest heroin seizures took place at a storage facility in Chicopee, MA. This type of business is ripe for crime, will endanger the abutting residents, and ruin the rural character of our town. 

Fire and Public Safety

Another concern is fire. The two proposed facilities abut residential neighborhoods putting everyone living in the area in danger when a fire breaks out. Although hazardous materials and flammable liquids are not allowed to be stored in self-storage containers, there is no way to continually monitor each individual unit. Hampden has a wonderful fire department; however, it is a volunteer fire department and a fire in one of these two facilities could overwhelm even the most equipped fire department. Hampden also does not have fire hydrants making accessing water during a fire a major challenge.

Ecological Impact

The construction of two self-storage facilities will destroy 8 + acres of land that was once a working nursery where many in town purchased their home shrubbery and trees. It has not been a working nursery for some time and as a result, it has become a wildlife sanctuary. On any given day one can spot turkeys, rabbits, coyotes, fisher cats, and an array of beautiful birds moving about the area. A bald eagle has been spotted flying in and out! It is critical to consider the wildlife that has made a home in this area and ensure that they are protected from those wishing to turn this into blacktop and steel boxes. The video below is a snapshot of what this beautiful property looked like this morning. How can Hampden destroy such a long-standing landmark? If this passes, Thorton W. Burgess would be ashamed of what we have become.

Water Supply

Hampden residents rely on well water and the abutting residents are very concerned that their water supply might become contaminated with such a large project being constructed so close to their wells. They are also concerned with stormwater runoff from both facilities and how that might negatively impact their drinking water.

Rural Character of Hampden

Our objective is to support the goals of the Town of Hampden which include, preserving the rural character, aesthetic qualities, natural, environmental, and historical features, and protecting the property values of neighboring properties and the Town. A self-storage facility in this area goes against all that the Town values and will have a devastating impact on the rural character of our beautiful town. Self-storage in this location is not a good fit for Hampden.

Please Donate Today

We need your help! Please donate today so that we can preserve the rural character of Hampden and make Thorton W. Burgess proud! All funds from this fundraiser will be transferred into a bank account that has been created for the sole and express purpose of depositing these GoFundMe donations. All funds from the account will be used to pay for a lawyer that SaveHampden has retained to represent the people of Hampden who oppose the two self-storage projects.