CHICOPEE – The Chicopee City Council met to discuss a controversial part of land owned by Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation (WMDC) on April 20.

The city sold the land located at 0 Fuller Road in 2009. During a previous City Council meeting on March 2, many residents and councilors spoke out against a proposed zone change of the 57.46 acres by WMDC. If passed, it would have changed the land from residential to IPUD-1 for the purpose of industrial park development. This zone change was unanimously denied during that meeting.

Many residents are now asking for the land to be investigated on whether or not it is protected Article 97 State Conservation Land and was therefore wrongly sold. Councilor Derek Dobosz put a motion on the meeting’s agenda to ask the city’s Law Department to determine this.

One Chicopee resident, Katie Kalbaugh, voiced her opinion on the land during public input. She supports Dobosz’s motion that it needs to be investigated to see if it is conservation land.

“If that is the case, the land truly should not have been sold to WMDC and if it was sold improperly, that would help us get the land back and ensure that we protect this land,” said Kalbaugh.

Resident Fergus Marshall agreed that more investigation and information is needed.

“I think that you’re not doing the people of Chicopee any service at all if you are not able to supply information about this deed and whether this land is actually a conservation area. I think I can speak for myself, and I think for most of the folks that are here supporting Derek Dobosz, that we want to know if this land is in fact protected conservation land… so I’m just asking you to do your job,” he said.

Resident Tina Colucci spoke on how she has asthma and does not want to see the trees cut down or the land changed to where she can no longer walk and exercise there.

“There’s so little green space left in Chicopee and it’s so important, not only to the animals, but to the people that live here as well,” said Colucci. “You cut those trees down and that’s extremely important to me, especially. We need that. We need this in our environment, we need to have healthy, clean air and we need to have a place to exercise, to go walking… I walk that land every single day. If that’s blocked for me it’s going to be extremely, extremely sad.”

Resident Robin Seymour mentioned how many animals would be displaced if the land is changed.

“It is tragic to think that all these animals will be displaced. If you’ve lived in the area or even nearby, we see the wildlife all the time and I can’t imagine what is going to happen when all that acreage is destroyed. And not to mention the potential traffic nightmare that’s going to take place if you ever have to go in and out of Slate Road,” said Seymour.

After several people showed support for Dobosz and his order to launch an investigation, Dobosz himself spoke on the subject.

“I want to start just by saying that I’ve heard a lot of rumors lately that WMDC is planning on just clearing the land and flattening it and I think that would be a disgrace, in my opinion. I feel that’s retaliation to the City Council for denying their zone change. They waited 12 or 13 years to apply for a zone change, they should be able to wait a few more months while we contest this,” he said.

Dobosz went on to share that he said he has seen evidence showing that the land was state conservation at one point, as late as 2005 or 2006. He noted he would like the town’s law department to take a position on it. He added, “If it was conservation land, then the deal would be nullified and the land should’ve never been sold. It’s against the law to sell conservation land, so I think it’s super important for the city to determine if this is conservation land or not.”

Councilor William Courchesne offered an amendment to Dobosz’s motion. He proposed a “motion to amend the order that the law department research an injunction or restraining order against WMDC from clearing any of the said trees and land until this matter is resolved through discovery.”

After a vote, the amendment passed unanimously. Dobosz’s original motion to have the Law Department investigate the land then passed as well.

Chicopee’s Law Department will now launch a formal investigation to find out whether the land located at 0 Fuller Rd. is Article 97 State Conservation Land. The law department will also look into enacting an injunction or temporary restraining order against WMDC so that they would not be allowed to clear the land or make any drastic changes until this investigation is completed.  

“I’m glad to see this motion come on the floor. We’ve been going back and forth on what the status of that land is and if it’s 97 State Conservation Land, then very little can be done there and it’ll remain that way. I’m anxious to find out finally what the status is going to be,” said Councilor James Tillotson. “It’s time to settle that for once and for all.”

During the meeting, The City Council also approved more members to the Charter Review Commission. Thomas Costello, Karen Rousseau, Nathan Moreau and Cathleen Curran were all approved.

The Charter Review Commission was voted on and established at the March 16 City Council Meeting. It will be an advisory group that reviews the city’s current charter and recommends changes to the City Council, who will then have to decide whether they should go forth with any changes or recommendations.

The meeting then continued with routine special permit and license renewals.

Those interested in viewing the meeting in its entirety are encouraged to visit the ChicopeeTV Facebook page.