WESTFIELD – The City Council approved land takings needed for the Feeding Hills Road phase of the Route 187 reconstruction and improvement project, as well as the appropriation of $67,920 for the easements.
City Engineer Mark Cressotti had requested the council to act on 25 temporary and 10 permanent easements before it recessed for the summer, to facilitate the state’s contract bid process set to begin in August.
The easements are required for the stormwater drainage component of the roadway improvement. The current road has little drainage, relying on sheet flow to carry stormwater off the pavement.
The improvements call for installation of four separate drainage systems related to topography of the road which runs along the foot of the Provin Mountain range. The drainage is being added because standing water caused deterioration of the road pavement and base.
The drainage improvements require extensive construction of support structures, culverts and head walls to support the culverts, and the land is needed to access areas where those structure will be built.
The City Council members unanimously approved both the easement taking and the funding for those easements last night.
The easements will be funded through a $2.8 million design and engineering bond, which included $200,000 for easements and land takings, but required council approval to release the funds.
The bond was approved because while the state Department of Transportation is funding the Route 187 improvements, the city is responsible for the design and permitting process required to facilitate the project.
The Legislative & Ordinance Committee discussed the easements with Cressotti on July 1, while the Finance Committee discussed the easement funding last night prior to the City Council session with Assistant City Engineer Heather Miller.
“This is only the first piece,” Cressotti said at the L&O meeting. “There is still the Little River Road and bridge portion easements for stormwater management which will also be financed through the bond, as well. The difference in cost from the easements required for the downtown improvements is urban versus rural land values.”
The easement agreements have been reviewed by the city’s Law Department and the DOT, Cressotti said.
