WESTFIELD – Those large metal containers, with black plastic covers, cluttering alleys and parking lots behind businesses and apartment buildings throughout the downtown, are becoming the focus of officials, as the city prepares for the$ 5 million Gas Light District infrastructure improvements.
Those improvements, expected to begin this fall, includes replacement of sewer, drainage, water and gas lines, as well as the reconstruction of streets, sidewalks and parking lots in the downtown area between Elm and Washington Streets and between Franklin and Courts streets.
City officials are considering several options to reduce the number of commercial trash containers (dumpsters) not only in the Gas Light District, but on city property, mainly parking lots, throughout the downtown.
Last night the Off-street Parking Commission discussed the issue with the owner of a seven-apartment building at 19 Summer Street. Merritt Andrew owns property that was incorporated when the Franklin Street lot was reconstructed and paved, yielding seven parking spaces for his tenants.
However, Andrew has been using one of the city’s parking spaces where he has a six-yard trash container situated for his tenants.
The issue arose because the city plans to make improvements to that parking lot as part of the Gas Light District improvements. Andrew said that he and the owner of a neighboring apartment building, who currently has a four-yard container, have considered replacing the two containers with one 10-yard container.
“We’re considering combining the dumpster, but with apartments it’s much trickier than with two businesses,” Andrew said. “The problem is that residents put of furniture which takes up a lot of space. Couches and other furniture are left next to the dumpster which takes up a lot of space. We have to take that furniture up to the transfer station which can cost as much as $50 a trip.”
Andrew said the issue with furniture left next to the trash containers is determining which landlord is financially responsible for its removal, an issue complicated by the fact that non-tenants sometimes dump unwanted furniture at that location.
Ward 2 City Councilor James E. Brown Jr. was recently assigned to the parking board, which by ordinance is required to have membership of a City Councilor and which by practice is assigned to either the Ward 3 or Ward 2 councilor who represents downtown residents and businesses.
Brown said that the issue of concern to the city is having a private trash container on municipal property.
“The problem is the liability the city assumes when you have a dumpster on city property,” Brown said. “What if one of your tenants is injured when using the dumpster? That could become our responsibility.”
“We’re not looking to lease parking spaces for dumpsters. We need to take action to protect the city,” Brown said.
The board approved a motion to require Andrew to move the trash container onto his own property and that he or a tenant would have to purchase a parking permit for the Franklin Street lot.
Andrew said the issue could be resolved if the city would provide “totes,” the trash barrels provided to residents for curbside trash collection, to downtown apartment residents. The city currently does not provide trash collection service to commercial apartment buildings with more than four units.
“It would eliminate the issue of couches and furniture disposal,” Andrew said, “and it would eliminate the need for dumpsters.”
Off-Street Parking Administrator Denise Carey said city officials are “brainstorming” the issue of dumpsters in connection with the Gas Light District Improvements which include the city taking several alleys, through imminent domain, to increase vehicular and pedestrian access to parking lots alleys which now have numerous, and unsightly, dumpsters.
“We’re looking at ways to consolidate, where they can be placed,” Carey said. “Parking is at a premium right now. Some communities have programs where the city contracts with the dumpster companies, then manages the needs of merchants.”
Brown said that is one of several options being assessed by city officials as it prepares for the Gas Light District project.
