SPRINGFIELD – More than 40 people crowded into tables lining the left side of the cafeteria at St. Michael’s Academy for the monthly meeting of the East Forest Park Civic Association (EFFPCA) on April 10, hoping to hear a presentation on a proposed retail cannabis shop in their neighborhood.

But developer Frank Dailey requested a last-minute rescheduling of his presentation outlining plans to bring Boston Bud to Murphy’s Pop Shop at 78 Island Pond Rd. Many attendees, including City Councilor Kateri Walsh, who told this reporter she attended the meetingto hear the proposal, expressed disappointment at the announcement by EFPCA President Beth Hogan. In place of the presentation, Hogan circulated a flyer touting some of the projected advantages Boston Bud would bring to the neighborhood – such as increased property values and contributions to local non-profit causes – adding that Daley would be available to answer questions after the meeting.

Attendees did, however, hear an update on the construction progress for the new East Forest Park Library on Surrey Road, a presentation by SolarizeMass and had an opportunity to grill Councilor Tim Allen on how the neighborhood could express their opinion on the Murphy’s proposal.

Springfield City Library Executive Director Molly Fogarty told attendees construction on the new East Forest Park branch library has been making “amazing progress” to date. “It’s about 46 percent done, on schedule and on budget,” Fogarty said, inviting those who haven’t recently driven by the site at 136 Surrey Rd. to make a trip to see the progress. “The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners came to see the site a couple of weeks ago,” Fogarty said of the 18,000 sq. ft. single-floor design that includes a separate 2,000 sq. ft. community room that will seat 100. “They were very happy with our progress.”

Library Project Manager My-Ron Hatchett said he expects construction to be completed by mid-October, with the library’s official opening targeted for around Thanksgiving.  In response to an attendee’s question about solar capability at the new library, Hatchett said, “There is infrastructure that could take it, but there are no plans [for solar power] as yet.”

Library Fundraising Campaign Director Matt Blumenfeld said he expects small groups would be able to tour the progress beginning sometime in mid-June. “This one is going to be the best [library] in the Commonwealth,” he said of the design.

To date Blumenfeld said the library campaign has raised $1.2 million, but still has $800,000 to go to reach its part of the commitment. The total cost of the project is $9.5 million; $4.5 million was funded by a grant from the MBLC, $29,000 from the city. Fogarty and Blumenfeld also announced a new fundraiser for the campaign, this one involving a brick walkway that will lead to an outdoor pergola to be constructed using a $138,000 grant received from the city’s Preservation Commission.

Blumenfeld said Individuals and groups will be able to personalize a brick on the walkway for a $100 donation, with all but the $22 cost of engraving going to the library campaign. “We have 5,000 of them [available],” Blumenfeld said, adding that the best way to insure there were “no mistakes” on brick engravings was to purchase them online through the Promise campaign’s website. (www.springfieldlibrary.org/library/about/promise-realized/). Though ongoing, he said that the hope is to sell the majority of the bricks in May or June, so walkway construction can begin.

Following the library update, SolarizeMass, which had a large display board on the right side of the cafeteria, gave a 20-minute presentation on the advantages of their program, which involves purchasing solar panes though a state-sponsored initiative to move more Commonwealth residents to alternative energy sources. Attendees were invited to sign up for an evaluation of their homes for potential solar installations.

Hogan next gave the floor over to Councilor Allen for an update on ongoing issues in the neighborhood, but most of the discussion centered on the retail cannabis proposal, and concerns regarding traffic on Island Pond Road and surrounding side streets, the proximity of a Springfield College classroom building to the retail site, and a question about whether or not the neighborhood had actually voted in favor of legalizing pot.

Allen said he’d checked with the election commissioner, and on the marijuana legalization question, East Forest Park had registered the closest vote in the city, 46 percent opposed, 53 percent in favor.  

When an attendee asked what neighbors could do “if you don’t want [retail marijuana] in your neighborhood, can you vote against it?” Allen said, “You can go to the special permit meeting [at City Hall], and write to the committee” to voice your opposition.                 He added that all proposals for retail marijuana sites in the city needed to be submitted to the City Council Committee on Marijuana Regulations by May 20, with a vote expected to take place on those proposals on June 17.

Allen said he believed only four licenses would be approved for 2019.  Following the lengthy give-and-take between himself and meeting attendees, Allen said it was “good that people asked these questions” about the retail cannabis permitting process.