City Council Preview: Oct. 18, 2018
At-Large City Councilor and City Council President John J. Beltrandi, III.
WESTFIELD – After several public hearings and a negative recommendation by the Zoning, Planning and Development sub-committee, Old Dominion Freight Line has sent a letter to the City Council asking to withdraw without prejudice its application for a Special Permit and Site Plan for a truck terminal on Medeiros Way.
Neighbors spoke up at several of the meetings, complaining about traffic, noise and fumes from existing truck traffic in the area. Ward 1 Councilor Mary Ann Babinski said residents in her ward had previously been promised “no more trucks.” ZPD chair David Flaherty said he voted against the recommendation because he believed the additional truck traffic would “adversely affect” the neighborhood, one of the findings required for a Special Permit.
City Council President John J. Beltrandi, III said while he feels bad for the people on the North side, “I’m a bit disappointed as a businessman,” due to the loss of $150,000 to $200,000 in tax revenue. “You can’t have it both ways,” he said, adding that with the proximity to 91, the turnpike and 10-202, these are the businesses that will be drawn to Westfield.
Beltrandi also said he thinks the Special Permit process should have occurred at the Planning Board. He said with the substantial investment made by the company to get it to the point of application, it should have gotten the attention it deserved by that board.
“Old Dominion approached the city approximately two years ago looking for a space to establish their business and I have worked with them through my office and the Round Table process,” said City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell. He said while their letter does not specify the reason for withdrawing the application, “I imagine one or more of the permit conditions proposed by the Zoning Planning and Development subcommittee made conducting business in that location unfeasible.”
A motion to review the special permitting process as it relates to granting authority, currently in the ad hoc Business Development Committee, is expected to be referred to the Legislative & Ordinance Committee at a meeting scheduled for 6:45 p.m. on Thursday.
The City Council will still have to vote on Thursday whether to accept Old Dominion’s request to withdraw without prejudice, leaving the door open for a resubmission. “I’m not sure if there’s a flavor for a truck business on that side of town,” Beltrandi said.
In other business before the City Council, a joint meeting with the Municipal Light Board to fill the vacant Ward 5 seat on the MLB is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, prior to the City Council meeting. Council President John J. Beltrandi, III said there are four candidates who will be given an allotted amount of time to address the boards. He said at that point, they will also take nominations from the floor.
Beltrandi said the City Council and MLB will vote jointly for the candidates, with a simple majority required. There are currently six members on the MLB, and thirteen on the City Council, although Beltrandi said that At-large Councilor Dave Flaherty will not be present at Thursday’s meeting.
On the City Council agenda, there is also a motion by all thirteen councilors to request that the Municipal Light Board start broadcasting their monthly meetings on Westfield’s community access channel, and archive them for rebroadcasting on Vimeo. “I feel that all of the elected bodies should be televised,” Beltrandi said.
Also prior to the City Council meeting, there will be an Executive Session to discuss strategy with respect to litigation on a pending legal matter regarding eminent domain.
The first item on the City Council agenda is immediate consideration of a $400,000 appropriation from the Water Department-Receipt Reserved for Sale of Conservation Rights to the Law Department Judgement Account. Beltrandi said he could not comment on either matter at this time.
