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The Westfield News
Merry Christmas! Thursday, Dec. 25th, the Westfield News will not publish.
Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014
VOL. 83 NO. 299
75 cents
B&E spike hits city By PETER FRANCIS Staff Writer WESTFIELD – This holiday season has had rocky start for some city residents after a rash of vehicle break-ins were reported over the weekend. According to police, there were five reports of breaking and entering on early Sunday alone, occurring less than 72 hours after four others were reported Friday, two on East Silver and Noble Streets, respectively. Sunday morning saw a call come in at 5:17 a.m., with the culprits making off with a Yamaha keyboard, strobe lights and other goods from a vehicle on Pleasant Street. At 8:45 a.m., another break-in was reported on Bates Road, where the victim’s unlocked car was entered and rifled through, though nothing was reported missing. Another B&E was reported at 10:15 a.m. on Holland Avenue, with the victim claiming the unlocked vehicle had been broken into, though they did not believe anything was taken. By 11:02 a.m., a resident of Pearl Street was claiming that two unlocked vehicles were entered, with a $200 pair of earbuds, iPod chargers and other Christmas gifts stolen from the trunk of the vehicle. The day had barely reached noontime when a fifth B&E was reported to police, this time on Yale Street, and the victim, whose truck had been parked in their driveway for “several days” according to police, reported their GPS unit and debit card stolen from the vehicle. The victim told police that they had received a call from their credit union asking if they had attempted to use the card at a Pride gas station in Springfield, See B&E, Page 5
Residents listen to a presentation of a proposed 11-lot subdivision that would be located off Northwest Road during a Westfield Conservation Commission meeting yesterday. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Subdivision plan sparks resident concerns By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Residents and abutters of an 11-lot subdivision proposed off Northwest Road packed a Conversation Commission hearing last night to raise a number of environmental concerns. The hearing is part of the commission’s process of assessing the environmental impact of replicating a small wetland area to replace an existing resource area being displaced by construction of a subdivision road. The details of the wetland replication plan were presented to the board by land-use consultant Rob Levesque of R. Levesque Associates on behalf of developer Joseph Kelly of West Springfield. Levesque said the existing wetland is 1,550 square feet, too small to trigger the state regulatio, but it does trigger the city’s wetland protection ordinance. The proposed plan is to create a 1,560 square-foot wetland next to the subdivision road, just a few feet north of the existing wetland area. The subdivision property is nearly 28 acres in area and is zoned for rural residential usage. Levesque said the existing wetland “is not the highest quality” and that it has little vegetation. The proposed wetland would be created by excavating topsoil and diverting stromwater, which feeds the current wetland, toward the new wetland depression. That diversion of stormwater into the proposed wetland was one of the
Rob Levesque, of R. Levesque Associates Inc., of Westfield, uses an illustration to show a proposed 11-lot subdivision off Northwest Road during a meeting with members of the Westfield Conservation Commission yesterday. (Photo by Frederick Gore) concerns identified by residents of Quarry Road and landowners whose property is contiguous with the proposed subdivision site. 11 lot subdivision Northwest Road Subdivision Joseph Kelley 4 photo package for Dan ConCom The topography of the land drops sharply in the area where Kelly wants to develop the subdivision. One abutter was concerned that creating the shallow replicated wetland depression would destabilize the steep slope. See Subdivision Plan, Page 5
Westfield seeks to clarify food truck law By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The City Council voted last week to send a motion to “investigate the permitting and regulation of food trucks within the city” to the Legislative & Ordinance Committee and a number of city departments. Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy made the motion Thursday at the request of
the city’s Law Department. The issue was also referred to the Health Law, Police, Business Licensing and Public Works Departments, and to the Planning Board. “I think it’s an attempt by the city to get ahead of the curve for a change,” Figy said Tuesday morning. “We’re talking about more than your basic hot dog cart. Right now there are no regu-
lations. I think it’s a good idea.” Food trucks have operated in the city for years on private property such as factories, businesses, and construction sites to offer food, usually breakfast and lunch fare, but have generally been prohibited on public property. There is currently an ordinance, Section 9-17 states that “No person shall stop his vehicle for the purpose of
selling any product from such vehicle on the following streets:” which is followed by a list of 24 streets generally in the downtown area. The ordinance also references Sec. 9-77 which states that “The chief of police shall refer all food vendors to the board of health for a mobile food
Holiday recycling, transfer station hours for Southwick By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Transfer station has special holiday hours for residents this coming week. The station is open Friday, Dec. 26 from 8 a.m. – 4:20 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 27 from 8 a.m. – 3:50 p.m. Next week, the station is open Monday, Dec. 29 and Friday, Jan. 2 from 8 a.m. – 4:20 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 30 from 11:30 a.m. – 7:20 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 31 from 8 a.m. – 12 noon, and Saturday,
Jan. 3 from 8 a.m. – 3:50 p.m. The transfer station, located at 25 Industrial Road, is closed Sunday, Dec. 28, Wednesday, Jan. 1 and Sunday, Jan. 4.
The Department of Public Works reminds residents about what can and cannot be recycled for the holidays. Residents can include the following in paper recycling: corrugated cardboard boxes, paperboard gift boxes, greeting cards (except those with foil, metallic inks, or glitter), wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue wrap (except those with foil, metallic inks, or glitter), paper shopping bags (any type of handle is okay), and catalogs and calendars. The following items should
not be included in recycling: ribbons, bows, and tinsel (reusable from year to year), packing peanuts and Styrofoam (accepted for reuse at most UPS Stores), holiday lights (most scrap metal recyclers will pay for light strings), plastic bags (clean, dry plastic bags marked #2 or #4 recyclable at supermarkets, retailers), blister packaging (formed plastic package used to hold toys and electronics), and photographs.
See Food Truck Law, Page 3
JAY VINSKEY