WESTFIELD – The Legislative & Ordinance Committee declined to act last night on the proposed eminent domain taking of Main Street property now in agricultural use that would be developed into an municipal athletic-field complex.
The city is being required by the National Park Service to replace land taken from Cross Street for construction of the proposed 600-student, 96,000-square-foot elementary school at the corner of Ashley and Cross streets.
L&O Chairman Brian Sullivan said the committee will not bring the order of taking out tonight at the City Council meeting because of movement behind the scenes that could change the package. Those changes include both the price of the taking and which property is being considered for the taking.
Sullivan intended to keep the issue in committee without further discussion, but committee members began to engage the audience attending the meeting to discuss the land takings.
At-large Council James R. Adams commented that “there are a lot of people here. Are we letting them talk?”
Sullivan noted that the council has given the involved parties, which includes the property owners; Cross Street residents opposed to construction of the school; and residents, many in Ward 4, supporting construction of the elementary school, ample opportunity to speak before the City Council during public participation and that the council recently held a hearing for the property owner, Alice Wielgus, and her attorney who declined to speak.
Wielgus did address the City Council, after that hearing, asking the members not to take her land by eminent domain. Wielgus spoke again last night, reiterating that “what I said is that I don’t want it taken by eminent domain. It’s still being negotiated.”
Adams said that in his opinion the taking is not clearly defined.
“There are two different numbers for acreage,” Adams said to Wielgus. “I know we were talking of taking one number of acres, and then another number came from the mayor.”
“There is no way we can move forward,” Adams said. “There may be other pieces (of land) out there that the city could take and yours will not be affected. Then you can keep your property and do whatever with it.
“I know there is a chunk of money available, the ‘fish’ money we got from the state for putting the reservoir land in Montgomery under a conservation restriction,” Adams said.
Sullivan said that because of legal issues “the best thing I can do right now is to leave this alone.”
Sullivan then requested a motion to leave the issue in committee which was approved by a 3-0 vote.
