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Date: 10/4/2022
HOLYOKE – The Sept. 26 Community Preservation Act (CPA) Committee provided updates on multiple ongoing projects being funded by CPA dollars.
One of the updates of note was on the Holyoke Fire Department’s Fire Truck Engine 9 restoration project. The project is funded by CPA dollars to restore a 1935 Mack firetruck belonging to the department.
The truck will be restored to its original condition through sandblasting and a complete repair of the body and frame as well as other needed repairs. The restoration of the truck will serve as a means of preserving the history of the Holyoke Fire Department (HFD) and the city of Holyoke itself.
Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Shea was in virtual attendance of the meeting to provide updates on the project. Shea shared a photo of the truck’s current status, as it has been getting complete repair of the body and frame. At this point, the truck has been disassembled and is going through some final repairs in the wiring of the truck before sandblasting, priming and body work to finish the project.
Shea came before the committee in hopes of receiving additional funding due to costs overruns. He noted the project was seeking just enough of an addition in funding to cover the remaining portions of the project and that any remaining funds would go back into the CPA fund.
CPA Committee Chair Meagan Magrath-Smith asked Shea what remained in the project that required these additional funds, to which Shea replied that sandblasting would assume almost all of the remaining costs.
“It’s a unique project. We have $3,800 left,” Shea said. “[The additional funds requested] goes back to the general fund if not needed. It’s just to have it on standby if you will.”
Magrath-Smith asked for a ballpark figure of what additional funds were needed so they could have a better idea before bringing the proposal to the City Council for final approval. At-Large City Councilor Israel Rivera was in virtual attendance of the meeting and said he thought there would be no problems getting City Council approval for the additional funds needed. Both Magrath-Smith and Rivera called the project a popular one that has support from the city.
“You’re on point. I think City Council likes this project to the point in which they would support [additional funding],” Rivera said.
CPA Committee Vice Chair Mike Falcetti asked Shea what was causing the anticipation of needing more funding and if Shea could provide a figure of what was needed to finish the project.
Shea responded saying it was related to the sandblasting of the truck. He added there were no issues remaining structurally and the electrical was complete, painting and finish was the remaining concern.
After continued discussion, Falcetti and Shea came to $15,000 as the amount of additional funding to be granted after City Council approval. Shea said the additional funding figure would be “plenty” as a back pocket protection for run off costs.
Shea will now come back to the CPA Committee with a better runoff estimate before it is recommended to the City Council for approval. He added the truck would unfortunately not be a part of the 2023 St. Patrick’s Day parade and the project is looking at a spring 2023 completion date.
The other CPA project update of note was on the recent Pulaski Park study and City Engineer Kris Baker joined the CPA Committee to give updates following a preliminary study of the park.
Baker, who joined the city earlier this year, is just becoming acclimated with the $40,000 funded CPA grant and project but was able to provide information on the study’s findings and what is next in the rehabilitation of the park.
Baker reported that $13,500 of the funding has already been utilized through a contract with Fuss and O’Neil engineering for this preliminary study. According to the report, they did a structural evaluation of the park that sits next to the Connecticut River and gave preliminary concept level site plan for repair recommendations, mostly for aesthetics of the park.
“There is nothing earth shattering [in the report]. The concrete is worn and weathered, cracked, and there are tilted sections structurally. They were unable to determine if the wall was stable in those sections and concluded it was due to vegetation growing so closely to the wall,” Baker shared.
The shore is lined by a long concrete wall at Pulaski Park and has seen overgrown vegetation along it. The area provides a view of the river, and the concrete wall is a barrier from the park to the river.
Baker added that the tilted sections structurally could be due to erosion underneath the walls and ground. He noted the study recommended the city clear the vegetation, so the roots aren’t close to the wall.
The study also recommended removing an area of the cracked sidewalk to expose base material to do a geotech evaluation of what is beneath. Geotechnical engineers investigate and evaluate soil, rock, groundwater and man-made materials and their interaction with earth retention systems, structure foundations and other civil engineering works.
With these findings from the preliminary study and plans, Baker recommended that the city does a change order with the engineering firm to do geotech work and figure out any issues with the base material along the side of the park. He also added that removing vegetation so the barrier could be looked at closer was also part of the next steps.