Westfield City Hall
WESTFIELD – Almost half of the meeting on Thursday was taken up with comments made during public participation on several issues before the city.
Matthew Roman, repeated his support for “the trucking company that wants to come in.” He said he recently spoke to his “good friend” Charles Medeiros, who he said would love to have a trucking company on Medeiros Way.
On the other hand, Richard Salois of Russellville Road called daytime truck traffic “horrendous,” and suggested the city look at the empty Yellow Freight building as an alternative site. “We need to control truck traffic,” he said.
Constance Adams of Root Road thanked Councilor David Flaherty for providing the minutes from the Zoning, Planning and Development sub-committee on Wednesday. “Tonight, you have the opportunity to vote on the Old Dominion proposal – I would like to see you do so rather than table the proposal, because I am afraid the result would be that you leave it tabled for 90 days so that it passes automatically,” Adams said, adding that if no action is taken after 90 days, the permits are automatically approved. Following the ZPD report later in the meeting, the vote was tabled by the City Council until Oct. 18.
Jean Carpenter of Barbara St. also spoke on the truck terminal proposal. She said she spent from 10 to 10:30 a.m. that morning on Southampton Road across from St. Mary’s cemetery on Thursday counting trucks. She reported going north, she counted 24 tractor trailers and 28 commercial vehicles. Going south, she counted 30 tractor trailers and 28 commercial vehicles. “That’s in one half hour at a lighter time of day,” she said.
“Kids are out there, playing recess and getting all the emissions,” Carpenter added, stressing that the traffic is much worse at high volume hours.
Holly Robbins of 10 Conz St. came to give a follow up to her comments regarding the appearance and noise from the Park & Recreations building, which she made at the Sept. 20 meeting. Robbins presented highlighted sections of the zoning ordinance to City Council members, which she said emphasized that any work activity should be contained within the building, or with the garage doors down.
Robbins also pointed to the executive order on Environmental Justice passed by Gov. Deval Patrick which declared that people have the right to clean air, water and freedom from excessive noise. She also claimed that following her statements at the last meeting, she was harassed by an employee. “Park & Rec employees work very hard to beautify our city, yet in our neighborhood, they make it look like a ghetto,” Robbins said.
Robbins said she brought her concerns to Building Commissioner Carissa Lissee, and asked City Council members to read her report and get back to her. Ward 3 Councilor Andrew K. Surprise said since the building is in his ward he would look into her complaints.
Kristen Mello of WRAFT (Westfield Residents Advocating for Themselves) spoke about recent meetings that she and other advocates had in Boston and Washington, D.C. regarding PFAS contamination of drinking water.
Mello said on Sept 12 she attended a meeting with representatives of the Department of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency in Boston to talk about the Massachusetts PFAS plan. Then last week, she and other members of PFAS coalitions from 12 states went to D.C. to attend the first PFAS hearing. “All of our congregational delegation is fully engaged,” she said, adding that while they were there, Congressman Neal was voting to pass HR61-57, a bill which she said includes a section (8142) to close what she called the Air National Guard loophole. Mellow said the Department of Defense is now authorized to enter into Environmental Services Agreements.
Surprise thanked her for her work, and said Gov. Charles Baker has pledged $30 million to help the effort. Flaherty and Ward 1 Councilor Mary Ann Babinski both said that Mayor Brian P. Sullivan and the Law Department would have a public presentation on the city’s efforts in the coming weeks.
Nancy and Dan Kotowitz of Shaker Farms Country Club said they noted that a motion to improve Verizon cell service is on the agenda, and said that Verizon has been approved by the Planning Board for a cell tower on their property, but said it is being held up by a “glitch.” They said a lien on the property by the city has to be resolved, and asked for the council’s help.
Dan Kotowitz also said that stormwater runoff is ruining the 6th hole on his golf course, making it unplayable, and hurting his business. He said stormwater runoff is also coming into the entrance of his parking lot. He said the city is getting ready to pave Shaker Rd., and should hold off until the stormwater runoff is resolved.
Ward 5 Councilor Robert A. Paul, Sr. said he has met with Dan and Nancy (Kotowitz), and the stormwater which he said is running under the gas lines, is creating 8 to 9 foot caverns in some areas. “We must get stormwater relief,” Paul said, adding that if they raised stormwater fees by $50 a year, the city would have the money to address the problem. Paul also said stormwater runoff is the number two environmental danger after septic systems.
Tom Smith of Holyoke, and part-owner of a property on Cross St., also thanked Flaherty for sharing the plan for the all-access playground. He also referred to the Environmental Justice order and to Article 97 to request that the people in the neighborhood be allowed to participate in the assessment and development of the playground and a baseball field in the park.
Flaherty said at the end of a “very long” Finance sub-committee meeting recently, Community Development Director Peter Miller said the city would be holding public hearings on the project.
At the end of public participation, Mayor Brian P. Sullivan came before the City Council to give an update, and also respond to several of the comments made.
“To follow up, we’re not going to put a cart before a horse and have a whole bunch of meetings with neighborhoods when we don’t have the money yet,” Sullivan said, adding that he and his administration will be holding public meetings not because they are compelled to do so, but because “it’s the right thing to do” to meet with the people in the neighborhood. He said right now all they have is a conceptual plan, but they can’t move forward without funding. The Mayor also said by not voting for the $1 million Parks & Recreation bond, and getting a possible $500,000 to $600,000 PARC grant for the all-access playground, is what will change the design.
Sullivan then gave an update on water treatment efforts in the city. He said the carbon for the temporary filter on Well 2 has been delivered, and the city would be testing the water before, during and after going through the carbon filter. “Roughly two weeks from now, if the tests come out well, Well 2 should be online and providing clean, drinking water,” he said.
Construction for the permanent filtration structure for Wells 7 and 8 is underway, Sullivan said, and they expect to have that plant online by October of 2019. The East Mountain Road tank design is completed, and the FAA has given the city clearance. He said it will be ready to send out to bid in January, 2019.
Sullivan also commented on the bill HR6157 to which Mello referred. He said the city has been tracking its progress for many weeks, and recently met with the Air National Guard, DEP and EPA. He said the meeting led to a denial by the ANG that they are the cause of the city’s contamination, and a refusal to take over the private wells that the DEP have been filtering. Sullivan said the Department of Defense has refused to accept responsibility.
Sullivan said he has consulted with the city’s lawyers, and the bill, as enacted, won’t help. “It’s not Westfield against the 104 Fighter Wing, it’s everyone against the DOD. Some of these things the government comes out with look great, but don’t mean anything,” he said, adding that’s why the city had to go forward with the filtration system. Sullivan said it’s going to require the DOD taking responsibility for having caused the PFAS contamination.
At-large Councilor Cindy C. Harris thanked the Mayor for the update. “I want to caution people not to take it out on the wonderful people in the Air National Guard,” Harris said, adding it’s the bureaucracy the city is fighting.
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