WESTFIELD – The Planning Board voted to send the City Council a positive recommendation to expand the definition of privately-owned parks in the city to codify treatment of those facilities under city ordinance.
Ward 3 Councilor Ann Callahan, who is sponsoring the proposed change, said that in the present ordinance language there is no specific definition, nor specific protection, of a privately owned park.
“Private parks have always been treated the same way as municipal parks, but it has been implied, not specified in the ordinance codes,” Callahan said.
The revised definition of a private park states it is: An area of land intended for outdoor enjoyment by the general public, which may have affiliated facilities used for conservation, recreation, assembly, concession, amusement, administration and the like, and which is owned by a governmental entity, or operated in its entirety as a non-commercial use.
The City Council will conduct its own public hearing tomorrow when it takes up consideration of the proposed ordinance change.
Callahan said that the primary benefactor of the revised definition will be Stanley Park, which is in the planning state to construct a new pavilion structure after it was forced to demolish the original pavilion because of safety concerns.
“This will mean that privately-owned parks are an allowed use just as municipal parks are now,” Callahan said. “This legislation is as simple as it looks, there is no hidden agenda.”
Resident Richard Roy of 55 St. James Street raised the “hidden agenda” issue during the public question period, asking if the definition change could allow city departments to use the ordinance to grab privately-owned land, particularly for school development projects.
Planning Board Chairman Phil McEwan said the proposed definition change is related to parks on privately-owned property and does not involve municipal land or the acquisition of private property.
“I don’t see any connection. We’re only changing the definition of a private park,” McEwan said.
The Planning Board voted 7-0 to send a positive recommendation to adopt the revised definition to the City Council for its review tomorrow night.
