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Date: 12/27/2022
AGAWAM – Owned by the town of Agawam for more than 20 years, the actions taken by the City Council on Dec. 19 now starts a process to turn the former Tuckahoe Turf Farm into a passive recreation area for the town.
The City Council approved the borrowing on $3.8 million that will ultimately build a road, repair the dam and culverts on the property as well as create a parking lot for a new park.
City Council President Christopher Johnson explained the application for a state grant required that at least part of the property be used as a park. Agawam received $400,000 from the state for the project.
Chief Procurement Officer Jennifer Bonfiglio explained to Reminder Publishing the next step would be the final permitting by the town’s Conservation Commission. The town has already approved permitting required by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Once the final permit is approved, the plans for the park would be finalized and the construction contract can be out to bid in January. The state grant requires then that construction would start on July 1, 2023, she said.
Two members of the council had concerns about the amount of the loan and how it would affect the taxes for residents. While the chair of the Finance Committee said the group approved the borrowing, he had questions about it himself.
Councilor Dino Mercadante said the timing of the borrowing is what concerned him. He noted a solar array on the property was supposed to offset the costs to the town, but he was doubtful it would.
“Just can’t see adding more debt to the town at this time,” he said.
He stressed he was not against not against the park, but against the high interest rate of the loan. The town has more pressing issues on which to spend its money, he noted.
Councilor George Bitzas also supported the idea of the park but offered an amendment that would eliminate the paved asphalt road through the property and instead build a gravel road. He asserted this move would save $800,000.
The councilors debated whether a gravel road would actually save money on the long run. Councilor Anthony Russo noted gravel roads have to be maintained annually.
“A gravel road, that’s a lot of upkeep,” he said.
Councilor Rosemary Sandlin said a gravel road would mean a change in design, which could cause a delay that would eliminate state funding for the project. Bitzas disagreed with that assessment.
Johnson said, “The solar array will be paying the lion’s share of the bonding costs.” He noted the dam needs to be repaired to save the pond, which could be used for fishing and in the winter for ice skating. He explained the Tuckahoe property is the second-largest single tract of land in Agawam, at 290-plus acres. The largest is Robinson State Park.
Councilor Cecilia Calabrese said, “This is money well spent. … People will use it, they want it.”
Councilor Robert Rossi said the “project is long, long overdue … we have to start at some point.”
All councilors voted in favor of the bonding except Mercadante and Bitzas, voting “present” to register their protests.
The council also approved an allocation of $696,342 from the Community Preservation Fund for the restoration and rehabilitation of the Captain Charles Leonard House.
Built in 1805 as a tavern to serve passengers on the Hartford-to-Boston stagecoach route, the Main Street building is on the National Register of Historic Places and managed by a nonprofit group. It bills itself as “Agawam’s Community House.”
Architect Steve Jablonski, who is working on the renovations of the building, said he was “honored” to work on it. He described it as “exceptionally well-maintained, a resource for the town.” He also noted that the historic building has a revenue stream with three apartments, as well as function halls that can be rented for events.