WESTFIELD – City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell provided a primer on the Elm Street Urban Renewal Plan. Mitchell appeared before the City Council’s January 21 regular session.
The council approved the plan in June 2013, followed by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
Mitchell said only three current councilors approved the plan, so he wanted to familiarize the body’s newest members. In the November 2013 municipal elections, he said a number of candidates ran on a “what are we doing in downtown” agenda.
The plan is spearheaded by the Westfield Redevelopment Authority.
He said the former Newberry’s department store suffered a fire in 1986. The block, he said, became “blighted and decadent,” which “pulls down the rest of the neighborhood.” Nearby properties went into a decline.
The Block Building on the corner of Elm and Arnold streets was acquired in tax title by the City of Westfield. Mitchell said the city has studied the issue of blight for over a decade. Several consultants, the business community, economists and the public provided input on the plan.
“The WRA is uniquely suited to execute this plan,” said Mitchell.
The WRA can acquire properties through eminent domain and rehabilitate the parcels for commercial purposes. Future developers, he said, can choose properties based on “form and fit” instead of price.
He spoke of a “commercial renaissance” on Elm Street and adjacent streets. One proposal calls for a mixed-use, four-story building with upwards of 100,000 square feet.
The first floor would entail retailers and restaurants with the remaining floors reserved for commercial use.
“What we want to do in our downtown is create density,” said Mitchell. “We want people to be there so they can walk the streets and frequent our businesses.”
He proposed a Smart Parking, or 300-500 car garage, that reduces the “parking crunch.” If implemented, the plan would inspire nearby property owners to make improvements. The proposed building would match the historic feel of Elm Street, similar to Throne’s Market in Northampton.
Mitchell added he frequently fields calls from developers on locating a restaurant in the downtown. Unfortunately, the current building stock requires a “significant investment,” he said.
He cited Easthampton and Cambridge, Mass. and Burlington, Vermont as communities that have undergone remarkable transformations. Mitchell envisions a modern transit pavilion that transcends the bus stations of yesteryear.
“This has been well researched with all of the constituents,” he said.
Construction on the transportation pavilion will commence on May 12 and be completed by January 2017. Phase II of the plan includes assembling the remaining parcels.
Information on the Elm Street Urban Renewal Plan is available at www.westfielddevelopment.com.
In other matters before the council, David Billups, the Department of Public Works Superintendent, briefly outlined an ongoing wastewater agreement between the City of Westfield and the Town of Southwick.
After upgrades to the Westfield Wastewater Treatment Plant 15 years ago, the Town of Southwick paid a portion of the construction, said Billups. The town is charged a commercial rate for use of a main waterline.
Southwick continues to pay on a municipal bond related to the upgrades. The City of Westfield also charges Southwick an extra 10 percent, which covers costs. Billups asked the council to approve a new agreement between both communities.
The letter of agreement is for a $20 million bond authorization for infrastructure improvements related to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The bond authorization is tied to the rate the council recently set.
Final work on the authorization must be completed before the council can approve the agreement. Billups expects the agreement to be ready before the council’s next regular session.
Southwick’s contribution toward the latest upgrades is not tied to the original bond, but factored through the commercial rate and the 10-percent add on.
Billups said he will provide more information on Southwick’s payment agreement at a later date.
City Engineer Mark Cressotti, who joined Billups at the podium, requested that the Council transfer $50,000 from the Wastewater and Infiltration Account to cover budgetary issues and to reconcile revenues related to the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30.
The transfer would restore funds removed from the original Fiscal Year 2016 budget. Advanced funding is needed to “jump start” several shovel ready projects for FY 2017.
Assistant City Solicitor Brian Purley requested approval of an interdepartmental agreement between Westfield Gas and Electric (WGE) and the City of Westfield. The agreement grants permission for WGE to install a pipeline along the Columbia Rail Trail.
The proposed pipline would run from the trail’s southern side, under the Westfield River and capped on the northern side. The council must review the agreement in subcommittee before final approval.
