WESTFIELD – Mayor Daniel M. Knapik has notified City Council President Brent B. Bean that the city has withdrawn its application to the National Park Service which requests the designation of the so-called Wielgus Property as protected parkland.
Knapik also stated that the city will reapply to the National Park Service for conversion of a city-owned lot where ball fields can be constructed.
Knapik, in a letter Monday stated that the City Council no longer has to take action in an order of taking of real estate to develop recreational fields for municipal use by right of eminent domain.
“Thus, no action is requested from the City Council on the Order of Taking or Order of Appropriation associated with this project that was submitted to City Council on May 14, 2014,” Knapik said in the letter.
“Further, I would like to take this opportunity to explain two important matters.
First, a history on the Wielgus proposal and second, where we go from here.
Please be assured I continue to focus on reaching a solution where the City meets National Park Service requirements for conversion of parkland with an end goal of constructing a model elementary school on the Cross Street/Ashley Street site.
Over the past several months, the property owner has been clear with public communication to the City Council that she is not interested in the City purchasing her property.
In keeping with her request, the City will no longer seek this property as a solution. I want to be clear, however. The City pursued this path because it had been communicated earlier by the landowner that she that she was willing to entertain the possibility of this transaction. The landowner was present for site inspections during the appraisal process and had granted us the right to investigate potential uses. Again, I respect her wishes and those concerns raised by members of the City Council with respect to their uneasiness with the eminent domain process.
With that as background, we continue our pursuit of 1.38 acres of replacement parkland so that we can begin construction of our much needed elementary school at Cross Street and Ashley Street.
Over the past several weeks, the City has prepared required documentation and an Environmental Assessment on 3.88-acre city owned parcel at the junction of Ponders Hollow Road and South Meadow Street. The property directly abuts the newly constructed Columbia Greenway Rail Trail, the Little River, and over 300 acres of protected agricultural land.
It is my intention to have this application submitted to the National Park Service and the Environmental Assessment available for public comment in the month of October.
I am hopeful the National Park Service will approve our application as I believe this site meets their criteria for replacement parkland as defined in 36 CFR 59.3.
I would not be comfortable providing an estimated timeline for adjudication of this application, but I am convinced, after reviewing all alternatives relative to our elementary school space requirements, that this represents both the quickest and most fiscally responsible path forward.
Thank you for sharing this information with your fellow members. While I am sure this new direction will spark debate both among elected leaders and the general public, I am confident that we are headed to a final solution that meets the needs of our school system, our City, and the families of elementary school students across our community.”
