To the Editor,
I write this with some hesitancy because I feel that most decisions are best left to those that we have elected to represent us. However, I feel compelled to express my concerns that the Westfield City Council did not feel it was their responsibility or they did not feel it was their place to become involved in decisions or discussions that will ultimately be made by another community, even though those decisions directly impact our city. Our city, if the Carvana project in Southwick proceeds, will be impacted significantly even when the Cowles Bridge is completed, which is projected to be a four year project itself. With 90 car carriers coming and going to the Carvana site a day, as well as up to 2,600 individual vehicles, the traffic in Westfield will increase significantly. This traffic not only affects the quality of life we enjoy but the wear and tear on the infrastructure will be significant , to say the least.
And if I remember correctly when the MGM project was proceeding in Springfield the surrounding communities had a lot to say about how the traffic and other related issues would might affect them.
Therefore, I encourage our representatives, the City Council, to step up for us, the people of Westfield, like the city of Agawam did, and express our concerns about the proposed project and the impact it will have on us. “Monitoring” a project, as was passed at the council meeting, does nothing to express to Southwick our concerns.
Paul Miller
Westfield
