WESTFIELD – Nearly 50 residents packed the Conservation Commission meeting Tuesday night to hear details of the second phase of Route 187 reconstruction phase, improvements to be made to Little River Road and the intersection of Shaker Road.
The public hearing focused on proposed improvements to the stormwater drainage system. The details were presented by Mary Trudeau, a wetland specialist with Benesch, a Glastonbury, Connecticut consulting engineering firm retained to design the $15 million Route 187 reconstruction project.
The project was divided into three phases with phase #1, the reconstruction of Feeding Hills Road, nearly complete. Phase #2 is the reconstruction of Little River Road, while phase #3 is the replacement and relocation of the bridge over Great Brook.
The entire project was initially reviewed by the Conservation Commission, but changes to the original plan required additional review which began earlier this week.
Trudeau said the design of the roadway drainage system is being changed to improve the outflow of water from the storm drains into the Westfield River. The present system collects stormwater which is then piped directly to an outfall on the river bank.
Trudeau said the existing solid drainage pipe to the outfall will be replaced and a new discharge pipe installed along the same easement through a farmer’s field. The new pipe with have an 840-foot section of perforated pipe to allow infiltration of water into the soil as the storm water flows toward the river.
City Engineer Mark Cressotti said the new stormwater line will be installed within the existing easement and, like the present line, access structures will be below surface level to allow the field to be tilled for agriculture. Cressotti said that work will have minor impact to the environmental resource area.
The large turnout of residents, many of whom who expressed concern about the effectiveness of the current stormwater drainage system, surprised officials Tuesday night. The Conservation Commission continued the hearing after requesting additional information from the consultants and to allow commission members to walk the land where the new drainage pipe will be installed.
“Given that the public hearing on this phase of work was not well attended, when abutters got notification of the Notice of Intent filing everybody showed up,” Cressotti said.
Cressotti invited residents with concerns not directly related to the environmental issues to gather in the City Council Chambers to address other concerns.
