The subject of the proposed new elementary school has been on many residents’ minds for the past few years. As you may know, some of the Cross Street neighbors are opposed to the size of the proposed school and have taken legal actions to stop the project. As part of the plan the city must deal with the fact that the proposed school sits on land under the jurisdiction of Article 97. (Article 97 requires replacement lands for parks being used or transferred from protected status.)
The National Park Service has to give permission to take the playground for another use because the city once accepted a federal grant to upgrade the playground.
Because of the requirements set by Article 97, our city planner has made a formal request to the National Park Service to remove from federal protection a parcel of land on Cross Street (site of the proposed school) and replace this parcel with another property in our city. Presently, there are two related draft home rule petitions before the council. The first one filed by the mayor requests that we exchange the land in question on Cross Street with a parcel on Northwest Road (a piece of land that had been owned by the Thomas Pitoniak family) that the city actually owns. The second home rule petition request asks the council to substitute a parcel of land on Main Street (informally known as the Wielgus Farm) for the Cross Street parcel. Westfield does not own this property. Residents may recognize this second parcel as the flood land located between the Westfield River and the dike that runs partially along Meadow Street. The complete application is on line on the city’s web site. There are also copies of the application on file in the city clerk’s office at city hall and at the Westfield Athenaeum. If this matter is of interest to you, I would suggest you review the application and send in your comments to both the City of Westfield (City Planner’s Office, 59 Court Street, Westfield) and also mail a copy directly to both the National Park Service, Attention: Jean Sokolowski -Northeast Region, 200 Chestnut Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2878 and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Attention Melissa Cryan, 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114. The deadline for filing comments is April 26, 2013.
This week the Council approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to move forward in creating a preservation restriction on the Westfield Whip Factory located on Elm Street at the entrance to our downtown area. Funds from the Community Preservation Account will be used to work towards the preservation of this last standing tie to Westfield’s whip industry. The Community Preservation Committee was established by city Ordinance in 2003. The Planning Department technical provides assistance to the Community Preservation Committee. The charge of the committee is to administer the city’s Community Preservation Act program, adopted by public referendum in 2002. The revenues generated from the CPA are used for projects which:
– acquire, create, and preserve land for recreational use
– acquire, create, and preserve open space
– acquire, preserve, rehabilitate, and restore historical resources
– create, preserve, and support community housing
There are four main project criteria and they are: open space (such as preserving scenic views and roads and preserving Westfield’s character), recreation (such as the expansion of recreational venues and utilizing city-owned land), historical (such as protecting and preserving historic and cultural buildings) and community housing (such as contributing to the Commonwealth’s goal of 10 percent affordable housing). The city’s web site offers more information on Community Preservation including links to applications and procedures and detail on eligibility.
Carol Mazza, the former publisher of this newspaper, while ironically instituting and supporting the PulseLine understood fully the importance of, as she said, “authoring your work”. Communication is key. Let’s talk about it, out loud and honestly. An awful lot of chatter and innuendo pass for fact. Anonymous rantings online and in the paper do nothing to inform or improve governmental transparency. Fact is, getting to the truth is exhausting but should not be.
Think about this. The city is in financial trouble. Residents are being squeezed. Fiscal responsibility is taking a back seat to “looking good now”. The budget has to be balanced. Labor contracts must be negotiated based on the reality that we do not have an unlimited source of income. New revenue sources have to be found to cover expense. City government has to become creative and aggressive rather than continuing to overburden residents. This is the dictate we give to our staff in Community Development – to promote and advance the city. Revamping job descriptions is a good move. Perhaps tying pay to performance would improve production and weed out duplication.
Finally participatory government means we have a say in what goes on. I encourage conversation and do fact finding because it is the only way. We need cost cutting, new revenue sources and controlled expense. This is a new way of doing business for Westfield. I encourage public service. Complaining about business as usual and covert activity got us to this uncomfortable place.
Reminder of upcoming events: The Westfield Little League Parade will be held on Saturday, April 20, at 9 a.m. beginning at the South Middle School and concluding at the Ralph Sanville Memorial Field on Cross Street. The Mayor’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held Saturday April 20 at 11 a.m. at Shaker Farms Country Club.
Mary O’Connell
Ward Four City Council
