Lately much of the concern expressed to me from the residents of Ward 6 has been regarding the status of East Mountain Road and when will Paper Mill Road finally be repaved?!
Let’s start with the easier of the two, East Mountain Road. The city has conducted two repavings. One was done last year from the proximity of East Mountain Country Club to Holyoke Road and this year the city has repaved a second portion from Paper Mill Road to Hill Crest Drive. This road is far from perfect and I remain committed to having this road completely reconstructed.
The issues surrounding Paper Mill Road are much more complicated but are in the process of being resolved. Some of you may or may not know but Paper Mill Road has never been accepted by the city as a city street and, as a result of this, obtaining any state aid for reconstruction and paving is impossible.
A course of action to get Paper Mill Road accepted as a city street has begun. In April and again in June a series of neighborhood meetings were held. The purpose of the April meeting was to simply explain and answer any questions or concerns from residents regarding the legal and legislative procedures involved with the acceptance of Paper Mill Road.
The purpose of the June meeting was to carry out the procedure of having residents sign over or release their deed to the city. A majority of residents complied with this request and I want to thank all of you who came out and participated. Unfortunately the effort didn’t pay off because we failed to get the required 100 percent participation, so as a result I have requested that the city prepare to start the process of eminent domain. I was hoping to avoid this route of land-taking because it is both costly and time consuming. Once the legal course has been completed the city can then move forward with the legislative progression of accepting the street.
As a City Councilor, communication is a vital part of my job. Should you ever have a concern or issues please don’t hesitate to contact me via e-mail at [email protected] or feel free to call my home number at 1-413-562-4195.
Lastly, I would like to wish all the residents of Westfield a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
