EAST LONGMEADOW –   On Jan. 16 the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission met and hosted a public hearing to develop a community strategy relative to an application for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) in East Longmeadow.  Additionally, representatives from the Recreation Commission joined the group and presented a plan they have for Heritage Park.

John O’Leary of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission presented at the meeting, explaining what the CDBG would do for the community.

“It’s used as a tool for DHCD [Department of Housing and Community Development] to make sure that their priorities and community development efforts. Part of this years application we’re looking at three to four activities.  One, being a Town Hall accessibility planning study, housing rehabilitation about 15 units or so, possible work on a roof replacement project for the housing authority, and a mobile food pantry for the Senior Center.  Those are the four activities we’ll likely be planning for,” O’Leary said.

He continued, noting that this would be used as a tool or research for ideas to look at and make sure community development efforts are prioritized in the town, and that they’re applying for activities that the town has interest in funding.

When questioned if the town has had success in the past receiving grants, O’Leary shared that in fiscal year 2012 East Longmeadow applied with Agawam and received funding for housing rehabilitation and housing authority work.

Planning Board Chair George Kingston noticed that under economic development a development guidebook was mentioned.  Larry Smith, interim administrator for the East Longmeadow Department of Planning and Community Development explained that the development guidebook would be a helpful resource for individuals looking to start or operate a business in town.

“If the town’s interested in that, that’s a great program.  The development guide essentially lays out what the permitting process is for development or starting a business, or operating a business in town.  It talks about the various permits you have to get and the various boards or departments you have to talk to and it basically has a flow chart in terms of step by step how you go through it and what the processes are,” Smith shared.

The Advisory Committee that has put together this application consists of Town Manager Denise Menard, Department of Public Works Superintendent Bruce Fenney, Council on Aging Director Carolyn Brennan and Director of Assessing Diane Bishop.

Kingston suggested that any resident who may have questions or comments regarding this should reach out to him.  To contact Kingston, email him at george.kingston@eastlongmeadowma.gov.

Next, members of the Recreation Commission joined the group to present a brainstormed vision of sorts for East Longmeadow’s Heritage Park.

Recreation Commission Chair Tom Kaye offered three display boards envisioning their plans for Heritage Park, which are not on display at the library.

“We have a plan that was actually funded by CPC [Community Preservation Commission] back in 2015, a feasibility study for Heritage Park.  It’s a multi-level project and it’s a multi-level process also in regard to grants, open space recreation plan, the whole nine yards.  What we have here is one of the phases.  We have concepts, the pond restoration, improvements to the baseball diamonds, but most importantly we want global universal recreation for everybody,” Kaye said. “I make a joke all the time, recreation’s not just youth sports, it’s about all of us from cradle to the grave.”

Recreation Commission member Kevin McLoughlin stated that the company that completed this research, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, has completed several park developments through Massachusetts and Connecticut including Agawam’s School Street park.

“In this study you’ll see there’s actually walking trails with exercise stations, there’s a pavilion for concerts by the pond, so we were thinking this would be great for drama club in the summertime.  You have basketball courts, you still have the dog park, and one of the nice things that we were thinking about since this is a gateway to our community, also improvement of the pond,” Kaye shared.

Kaye explained that he’s heard a lot of complaints that the park isn’t necessarily utilized to its fullest potential and isn’t “for adults.”  He said he hopes to change that.

“I think if we have activity and as Forest Park has proven to us that if there’s activity and there’s some parameters around the usage, gates and things like that, then we will get good usage out of the park that we have and we’ll clean it up and make it look beautiful,” he said.

Kaye shared the total cost of adding new facilities and uses to Heritage Park.  The project as a whole would cost $3.3 million.  He said that when viewing the boards and information at the Library, each task is laid out in separate line items.

“We wanted to lay out costs and expenditures, for example for the retention pond around the walls, that’s about a $300,000 cost.  A well for irrigation if we had sports fields on there; the well for irrigation is about $80,000.  The pavilion for the concerts and for drama club would be about $120,000,” he noted.

One resident who abuts the property joined the group and questioned why he hadn’t heard of this, and if this was a “pie-in-the-sky” concept. Kaye said no, it isn’t that, it’s simply a long process.

“I went in front of the Town Meeting probably early 2015 to receive the grant from Community Preservation for that feasibility study.  We’re just trying to improve the park.  I have physically gone in and out of that park and up through the woods to the Springfield line.  This is a long process, this just literally started in 2015 and here we are having his conversation,” Kaye said.

The abutter stated that his main concern is how natural the park currently is, and that it’s naturalness is its main draw.  

“Even though it’s a little rough around the edges the naturalness, it’s a wonderful place to bring up a family.  This to me is more like it has the smatterings of a theme park; it’s a huge difference from what we have right now,” the abutter commented.

Kaye and McLoughlin attempted to reassure the abutter, showing him on the map of the park that there were two large sections of the park that no trees would be removed on due to the areas being wetlands.  Moreover, they explained there would not be a public access road to the park from Flowers Rd., however there would be an access point for emergency vehicles as they would need to have access to the potential walking trail.

“We want to keep the park aesthetically the way it is for the most part, but we want activity in the park, too.  I think just looking at this we’re trying to keep it a beautiful park,” Kaye said.

Kingston explained that the way this plan will work moving forward is that any monies that the Recreation Commission is looking to receive for the project comes from the CPC as well as applying for grants from the state.  The CPC would vote on it first, and then the Town Council would receive the plans and ultimately be the group who approves funding.  If the Recreation Commission wishes to apply for state funding they have to go through the Town Council as well.

To watch the meeting, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoTJ9FKx-cA.