The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) unanimously approved a zoning change for two land parcels owned by the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat at a public hearing on Jan. 2.

The lots owned by the museum, located at 11 and 15 Deep River Road, were approved for a zoning change from Rural Residential to Commercial zones. The lots are largely landlocked by the Valley Railroad lines, Route 9, Falls River, and land owned by the state and have no vehicular access. The property at 11 Deep River Road is a “’meadow’ parcel on the south side” of the Valley Railroad lines and is “very isolated topographically,” according to the PZC.

Representing the museum at the meeting, attorney Ed Cassella said, “What the steam train is seeking to do is use these properties for train-related excursions where people can stop, get off the train, and have different events.”

Some of the events that would be permissible on a commercial lot include musical, theatrical, and special events such as weddings, religious ceremonies, and other train-related celebrations. These would not have been allowed under the Rural Residential zoning regulation.

“The activity would originate down at the steam train where the folks would park, and all the visitors would be brought up by train, and it would be an opportunity for people to get out, enjoy the meadows…for those activities,” said Cassella.

Looking at the topographically isolated lot of 11 Deep River Road, Cassella added that its densely wooded area and the snaking of the Falls River through it would be “a very good buffer between the activity and the residential and commercial properties along Main Street and Deep River Road.”

The zone change would further promote cultural and tourist assets in Essex as laid out in the town’s 2015-’25 Plan of Conservation and Development, said Cassella, supporting the town as a “vibrant and welcoming community.”

Commissioner David Rosengren expressed concern about the zoning change, saying that it could open the possibilities of more commercial use by future owners of the lots if the museum sold them.

“Once you, by text amendment, change to commercial, it stays commercial. At some point in the future, what you’re doing is you’re taking away rural space, and you’re opening up to relatively large areas - not 13-plus acres - to commercial in the future. And it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s your commercial. Your business could sell [those lots], and the next thing you know, we have an expansion of commercial into 14 acres of what is now rural,” he said. “I think we ought to be looking at the bigger picture. Is it good for the community to expand the commercial in places now where we have rural?”

Karen Goldfinger, who lives on Old Deep River, expressed concerns about the noise from future events.

“Our house is [in] a mixed residential-commercial zone, and it’s mostly residential right where we live...I think having the opportunity to have all that noise behind our house and all the other people who live here and their houses.”

Maureen Quintin, vice president of communications and events for the steam train, replied, “We don’t run much anything past 10 p.m…other than possibly some music, wedding guests talking, or children running around, I wouldn’t assume there would be a lot of loudness.”

Quintin said that the only currently planned events are those for Easter, during weekends in the summer and fall seasons, and an “unknown number of wedding ceremonies” in the future.

She added that there are no current plans to cut down any surrounding trees. Essex Steam Train President Kevin Dodd said there are also plans for an access road for emergency access by fire trucks and ambulances to the lots and sanitation facilities like porta potties.

Commissioner Chris Riley retorted to Rosengren, saying while the change would mean an expansion of commercial zoning in town, he pointed out that the southern 11 Deep River Road lot borders an almost entirely commercial zone.

“Yes, it’s an expansion, but it’s not an incongruent expansion,” said Riley.

The zone change marks the first in a two-step process. Representatives from the Essex Steam Train are expected to present a more complete special exception plan to address noise level and vehicular access at a future PZC meeting.