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WEATHER TONIGHT Clearing. Low of 22.
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 83 NO. 41
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014
75 cents
Disabilities Commission seeks more spots By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Westfield Commission for Citizens with Disabilities last night approved small changes to a letter it will be sending out to Ward 2 City Councilor Ralph Figy regarding a lack of handicapped parking spots on Elm Street. Commission Chairwoman Madeline Nicoletti said she reached out to Jeffrey Dougan, assistant director for community service in the Massachusetts Office on Disability, who said he knows of no other city or town within the Commonwealth that doesn’t have handicapped parking on it’s main streets. The issue came about after a Planning Commission meeting which addressed the proposed Senior Center. “A gentleman with ALS came to us and asked how he could go about getting a handicapped parking space on Elm Street,” Nicoletti said of the incident which spurred the letter to Figy. “He said he would park behind the Westfield Gas and Electric building, but the walk would tire him out so, that he wouldn’t have the energy to go inside to pay his bill.” Nicoletti added that the citizen, who chose to remain anonymous, is aware that he can use a credit card to pay his G&E bills from home, but he wants to “remain as independent as possible for as long as possible.” The commission approved the letter to Figy, but not before making slight edits to language in the second paragraph regarding potential legislation requiring handicapped parking spaces. Comissioner John Velis stated that the sentence in question wasn’t accurate. “I don’t think it’s misleading, but the fact of the matter is that it (the legislation) hasn’t happened yet, and as of now, it’s not enforcable,” Velis said. “We don’t want to give off the impression that it’s a foregone conclusion, that it’s been formally adopted.” The newest member of the commission, Agma Sweeney, stated that the language shouldn’t be the issue. “Don’t even bring up the legislature. It’s more ‘Westfield wants to be ahead of other communities in terms of accessibility,’” she said. “We’re very forward about bike trails and walkability and accessibility (in the city), but it was overlooked. Nobody mentioned in public hearings that theres no accessable parking all along the incredible improvements that we’ve done (downtown). I think it was just an ommission.” The changes were approved unanimously by the commission, which also consists of Andrea Pianka, Norman Smith, and Matthew Reinhagen, in addition to Nicoletti, Sweeney, and Velis. Smith was also nominated and voted in unanimously to return to his former post as secretary last night by the commission.
“There is, I think, nothing in the world more futile than the attempt to find out how a task should be done when one has not yet decided what the task is.” — Alexander Meiklejohn
Planners balk at motel conversion
The present two-lane Route 57 highway at the Southwick / Agawam town line.
(File photo
by Frederick Gore)
Local pols make pitch for 57 expansion By Peter Francis Staff Writer HOLYOKE – Following an appearance at the Northampton Chamber of Commerce’s Incite Information Lunch at Holyoke’s Delaney House yesterday, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Richard Davey met with Senator Don Humason, Jr. (R-Westfield) and aides for Representative Nicholas Boldyga (R-Southwick) to discuss the dormant Route 57 expansion project. The extension of Route 57 was split into several phases by the Commonwealth years ago. Since the town of Southwick, as well as the cities of Agawam and West Springfield, would be impacted, Mayors Richard Cohen of Agawam and Ed Sullivan of West Springfield were also at yesterday’s meeting. The meeting came several weeks after MassDOT Administrator Frank DePaola sent a letter to the Western Massachusetts Electric Company saying he was “not interested” in purchasing land WMECO has been holding for the state under the assumption that the DOT would make good on it’s promise to expand the state highway. “We are at a major crossroads in the way we fund our transportation system,” Davey said yesterday afternoon. “The need for improvements will always be greater than the resources available.” “Working with our partners in the Legislature, we are anticipating new revenues from a pending transportation bond bill that will help us fund a list of projects that we spent over two years prioritizing,” Davey
said. “We also face uncertainty over a November ballot referendum that would repeal the gas tax index to inflation. This is a critical component of long-term transportation planning as indexing the gas tax protects its future purchasing power and ensures it remains a viable source of revenue.” Davey added that the state doesn’t have the revenue to finance the full extension of Route 57 right now, but “we fully understand the regional economic value this project has. With that in mind, we will explore whether there are any smaller, incremental steps we can possibly take in the meantime.” “We had a good turnout (for the meeting), it was good to have (Richard) Cohen, Ed (Sullivan), and Doug Seibert (Southwick DPW). There was a lot of historical knowledge in the room,” Humason said after the meeting. “Davey didn’t make any promises, but he’s hopeful that we can preserve the land, and that future governors and DOTs will pick up the project.” “We have the land permitted,” Humason said. “We’re already generating jobs and revenue (along 57). It would open up the area for development, housing and job creation. It would enhance the economy for southwestern Massachusetts.” Humason said that the group will be drafting a letter to Davey to be sent at week’s end stressing the economic impact of an extension and emphasizing the fulfillment of the state’s promise when the highway was built. “The fear is, when the Commonwealth makes a promise, you can’t believe it. We See Route 57, Page 7
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The Planning Board voted to continue the public hearing on a proposal to convert a former Southampton Road motel into efficiency apartments when other property owners raised a number of concerns and questions. Rui Baltazar submitted a special permit application to convert the motel at 480 Southampton Road into a 14-unit efficiency apartment complex. Typically, conversion petitions only involve the Planning Board’s review of the parking requirement of two spaces per unit. The motel has not be in operation for five years but the questions and concerns raised during the public hearing last night may initiate a more detailed review of the project. Principal Planner Jay Vinskey said the board has the authority to require a detailed site plan for the conversion project. Speakers raised concerns about population density if the small efficiency apartments are rented by couples with children and said the project may have a negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood. “How many people will there be in each unit?” Tina Stevens, who owns the abutting property to the south of the motel, asked. “Will couples, children or pets be allowed? Those are very tiny units that don’t have the space to accommodate many people.” Bob Goyette, owner of the nearby See Motel, Page 3
The Westfield Planning Board discussed last night a special permit for the Country Court Motel to be converted into efficiency apartments. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Hydrant access a safety issue
A fire hydrant remains buried on School Street Monday. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
By Carl E. Hartdegen Staff Writer WESTFIELD – “It always a good idea” to shovel out fire hydrants because if a house is burning every second it takes to get water flowing onto the fire reduces the risk of “loss of property and possible loss of life” said Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Egloff, the fire prevention officer for city’s fire department. “The snow’s starting to pile up” he said, and even the hydrants that have a flag attached to mark their locations under the snow, “they’re getting harder to see.” He said that firefighters can quickly exhaust the 750 gallons of water carried by a pumper truck, and if firefighters cannot tie into a hydrant promptly, any time when water isn’t flowing from the hoses can add to the destruction wrought by a
fire. He said that the firefighters use a sophisticated geographic information system to locate fire hydrants “but in the real world when they (hydrants) are in(side) snow banks, they’re very hard to find” so a homeowner’s best fire protection tool may be a shovel used to clear access to a hydrant. Egloff points out that, due to the exigencies of public snow removal efforts, city workers and contractors are exempted from the prohibition against plowing or piling snow on hydrants but residents aren’t. “A homeowner cannot snowblow snow on to a hydrant”, he said, although a plow operator may legally bury one.
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See Hydrant Access, Page 7