WESTFIELD – Mayor Daniel M. Knapik is requesting that the City Council release funding to continue the predevelopment effort of a new industrial park at Barnes Regional Airport.
Knapik’s request, taken up by the City Council at its Aug. 15, session, was referred to the Legislative & Ordinance Committee for further review and action.
City Advancement Officer Jeff Daley said the funding, $15,000, was included in Knapik’s 2014 fiscal year budget approved by the City Council in June.
The funding would be transferred from the city’s budget to the Westfield Redevelopment Authority, overseeing development of the Airport Industrial Park. The 80-acre parcel of land being developed as an industrial park is under the control of the Barnes Airport Commission.
The Airport Commission will sign the leases, but the commission could designate the WRA as its agent and the WRA could recommend a TIF (Tax Incentive Financing) for perspective tenants. The TIF agreements would have to go to the City Council for its review and approval.
Daley said that because the WRA is a quasi-private entity the City Council has to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to transfer the funds.
“It’s the standard procedure to transfer public money to the WRA,” Daley said. “We did the same thing last year.”
The city was awarded a $2 million state economic development grant to reconstruct, and realign, Airport Industrial Road through the Massworks Infrastructure Program, work recently completed. That new road provides access to the proposed industrial park land with 40 acres on either side of the new roadway.
Daley said that half of the west parcel, 20 acres, will have direct access to the airport and that the goal is to develop aviation-related industry on that property. The property east of Airport Industrial Road will be marketed for general commercial usage.
“We’re trying to hold onto that land for aviation-related purposes,” Daley said earlier this year. “The goal is to have the entire 80 acres permitted, then as we get through the engineering phase, develop the east side. We’ll start a pretty aggressive marketing campaign as soon as the environmental and engineering efforts are complete.”
Daley said that because the property was acquired through Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the federal agency could attach restriction to development of that property. The FAA has restrictions on what can and cannot be done on that property, such as height restrictions to prevent encroachment of the airport and approaches.
Daley said the WRA is still working with the FAA of how the park will be managed and developed.
“We’re getting close to make a determination of how we’re going to deal with the FAA,” Daley said this morning. “We’re working to define the best plan for development of that acreage purchased back in 1980.”
Daley said that if the decision is made to sell the property, proceeds will be held by the FAA for further investment in Barnes Regional Airport.
“That money will be available to offset the cost of development in the future,” Daley said.
The other option under consideration is long-term leases, but in either case there will be restrictive language to meet the FAA goal of preventing encroachment of the airport.
