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WEATHER TONIGHT Clear and cold. Low of 20.
The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014
75 cents
Bicycle, pedestrian issues discussed
Trees planted on Mechanic Street By Peter Francis Staff Writer WESTFIELD – Plans to replant three trees in one of the city’s most densely populated neighborhoods hit a temporary snag yesterday, as workers from the city’s Department of Public Works debated whether or not to plant several saplings on Mechanic Street just above a municipally-owned gas line. In the end, city laborers were given the goahead from City Hall to proceed with caution and plant three European Hornbeams along the sidewalk bordering the property of St. Mary’s School, digging as close to the concrete as possible to avoid placing the trees directly over the PVC gas line. “The root balls (of the trees) are about two feet wide, so we dug down one foot until they hit the ribbon,” said one of the DPW workers, who then added that the piping is usually placed a foot below the ribbon. Casey Berube of the DPW stated that the Hornbeams were replacing trees that had once
is not outside man; it is within.”
— George Eliot
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VOL. 83 NO. 267
“Adventure
By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – City officials conducted an informal meeting with residents last night following the conclusion of the state Department of Transportation formal public hearing on construction of the north phase of the Columbia Greenway. The informal hearing dealt with a much broader range of topics, although much of it was related to the continued extension of the Columbia Greenway. Topics included the bicycle and pedestrian access to the rail trail, bicyclist and pedestrian safety and traffic calming measures to encourage motorists to share city roads with alternative forms of traffic. “We’re putting the four lane streets, Court and See Issues, Page 8 Westfield Vocational-Technical High School horticulture students Sandra Crosier, Matt Wilcox, and Andrew Marquez help replant one of four Japanese maple trees in front of the school yesterday morning. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation which recognize cities for their excellence in urban forestry management. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Joel Faira, a heavy equipment operator for the Westfield Department of Public Works, uses a backhoe to dig a hole on Mechanic Street where a tree will be planted as part of the Tree City USA program sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation which recognize cities for their excellence in urban forestry management. Due to it’s close proximity to a gas line much of the work had to be done by hand. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
lined the street as part of the city’s effort to earn the distinction of “Tree City USA.” “There used to be Oak’s here, but the Mayor (Daniel M. Knapik) wanted to replace them,” said Berube. Workers first dug the hole with a small excavator, only to fill the hole and start over with shovels soon after in an effort to get closer to the sidewalk, which Berube said would change the trajectory of the tree’s growth. While he admitted there was the potential for the tree to cut into the sidewalk, Berube alluded that it would be far more favorable to replace a chunk of and/or cut the sidewalk back than to plant the tree directly over the gas line. “You could replace it with concrete, but the cheapest way would be to do asphalt,” he said, looking on from across the street. “But I’m not sure it’ll destroy the sidewalk.” City Engineer Mark Cresotti said that he gave the word on the placement of the trees closer to the sidewalk.
School budget season begins in Southwick By Hope E. Tremblay Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – A preliminary SouthwickTolland-Granville Regional school budget discussion took place yesterday with Superintendent John Barry, Executive Administrative Assistant Kathy Lynch, Business Manager Steve Presnal, and members of the Southwick, Tolland and Granville governing bodies. Barry told the group he plans to have a mostly level service budget, with the addition of at least one position that could be a part-time job. “We are one of the only districts in the (Lower Pioneer Educational) Collaborative that doesn’t have an information management person,” said Barry. Lynch has taken on many of the tasks associated with data and information management but Barry said it really needs to have its own manager
See Trees, Page 8
See School Budget, Page 8
Residents voice support for rail trail renovation By Dan Moriarty Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The state Department of Transportation (DOT) hosted a public hearing last night with more than 70 residents in attendance to hear details of the project to rehabilitate the railroad bridge over the Westfield River and provide feedback to the project engineers. City Engineer Mark Cressotti hosted the DOT hearing, held in the City Council Chambers which was packed with residents, many standing because the turnout easily exceeded the limited seating capacity, and introduced Shawn Holland, the DOT project manager and John J. Bechard, P.E. of the city’s VHB, the city’s consultant for the Columbia Greenway design and construction. The North Phase, the renovation to the Railroad Bridge and approaches, is expected to cost between $2.2 and $2.5 million and will be funded as part of the dot’s statewide Transportation Improvement
Program (TIP). Bechard, who has been involved in the design effort of the Columbia Greenway since 1999, said the Columbia Greenway construction has been broken into sections because of cost of constructing the elevated bicycle and pedestrian walking trail, due to the fact that there are nine bridges over city streets which have to be replaced or rehabilitated. “This north section is the last piece geographically, but not the last piece to be constructed,” Bechard said. “The project was broken into sections because of the nine bridges which will be replaced or refurbished, which is expensive.” The scope of work discussed last night is from Cowles Court on the south to Women’s Temperance Park on the north shore of the Westfield River, about 853 feet in length. The bridge rehabilitation includes installing a new concrete deck, measuring 10 feet in width, and an ornamental
fence, as well as repairing the bridge abutments and the center supporting pier. The work also includes installation of lights on the steel trusses supporting the space across the river. Most residents expressed support for the design and construction of that section of the trail, although one did question the intent to spend $2.5 million on the north end of the trail, where there will be very limited use, and not to extend the section between Main Street and the river. That speaker also questioned where the
trail goes north from Women’s Temperance Park. Jeff LaValley, chairman of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway, said that having the north section and the southern sections completed will give the city greater leverage when seeking additional state and federal funding to complete the rail trail construction project. Cressotti said that the city is waiting for Southampton to complete its design for the rail trail before considering how to link that project to the city’s rail trail. Cressotti said Southampton has several design options and locations for connecting to Westfield. One option for the Southampton rail trail is along Brickyard Road, which in Westfield is Root Road. However, the Southampton trail could also link with either Russellville Road or Wyben Road. LaValley said the goals of the Friends group is to foster a healthy and active lifestyle for residents of
the city and surrounding communities, to vitalize the local economy, and to satisfy the need for safe, viable, active and equitable forms of (alternative) transportation. Bill Rose of the Westfield River Watershed Association suggested that the rail trail design includes raised pedestrian walks because of a serious collision between a pedestrian and bicyclist. “Elevate the walkway for pedestrian to we don’t have to worry about being hit by a bicyclist,” Rose said. Dan Call, a former City Council member currently living in Southwick where he is a member of the town’s Park and Recreation Commission, which completed the rail trail through that community in 2013, said the trail is all about connectivity. “It connects south to Southwick, which connects to the rail trail system in Connecticut,” Call said. “This phase will connect to Westfield’s Northside. “