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Date: 3/2/2022
AGAWAM — Federal pandemic aid will fix roads in four areas prone to flooding, town officials told the City Council last week.
Mayor William Sapelli, alongside Public Works Superintendent Mario Mazza and Town Engineer Michelle Chase, presented an infrastructure report during the Agawam City Council meeting on Feb. 22. They said the town will spend its share of the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, to address four areas of town where residents and drivers complain of flooding after rainstorms.
Meadow Street will see $1.2 million in drainage improvements, along with a $1.8 million project to replace a water main. Mazza described the flooding on Meadow Street as “awful.”
Additionally, “the water main is about 100 years old; it’s undersized,” said Mazza. “This project will fix all that.”
Designs for the work are complete and the project will be put out to bid in June. With the expectation that most of the underground work will be completed this year, Mazza said he hopes to begin paving in spring 2023.
The second project is a culvert replacement on North Westfield Street (Route 187). In 2019, a temporary repair was completed on the existing culvert, which was estimated to last between three to five years. Mazza said a feasibility study was set to begin at the end of February.
“It’s 60 percent designed and we’re looking for an NOI for the wetland issues that exist out there in April,” he said, referring to the Conservation Commission notice of intent permitting process that must be completed for any construction work near water bodies.
Mazza said the project may be bid this year or next spring.
North Street also requires a culvert replacement, with an estimated cost of $1.8 million. An emergency repair was done in 2019, following the pipe’s failure, however, a more permanent replacement is needed.
This project is 60 percent designed and will begin the NOI process in March. The bid is expected to go out in July.
As the North Street culvert replacement project is further along than the North Westfield Street one, Mazza said, “I could maybe see this one being done this year and delaying the other one until next year.”
Due to chronic flooding and the potential to impact private property, drainage upgrades are required on South Park Terrace and Leland Avenue. This project is estimated to cost $1.4 million.
Mazza said an initial survey was completed to delineate wetlands, and a final survey will be completed this month.
With 60 percent completion of the project in June, the project is expected to be bid on in September.
Mazza said he is working to “push this one along,” so that the DPW can tackle it this year, and hopefully begin paving next spring.
“These folks have suffered for a long time,” Mazza said. “Getting that water off the road when it rains is important.”
O’Brien’s Corner
Work is also underway at O’Brien’s Corner, Mazza said.
The project, centered on the intersection of Maple, North and Springfield streets, and also affecting Begley and Rowley streets, is intended to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. The roadwork will install a shared-use path on Springfield Street from Sarat Ford to Rowley Street; and along North and Maple streets from McGrath Park to Begley Street.
The pedestrian crossing at Maple and Springfield streets will be moved to a safer location. Other improvements to O’Brien’s Corner include a new bus stop on Springfield Street just east of King Yen restaurant; a new crosswalk at McGrath Park and a new sidewalk connection from McGrath Park to the west. The O’Brien’s Corner intersection will be improved with new traffic signals, and will be repaved.
Pedestrian improvements, in particular the new shared-use path on Maple Street, will dovetail with a state Safe Routes to School project planned for Maple Street. That project envisions a shared-use path running along the north side of Maple Street from Begley Street — the road to Robinson Park School — to Walnut Street. It will also install a raised crosswalk with flashing lights at Bridge and Maple streets.
“This will connect North Agawam to O’Brien’s Corner,” said Mazza.
The project is 25 percent designed and is slated to be constructed in 2023, although easement takings are expected to begin in the fall.
Eversource is currently working in the intersection of O’Brien’s Corner, replacing gas mains, along with upcoming movement of utility poles, curbs, and more, all likely to be completed in the fall.
Sapelli noted that these prioritized projects were determined based on safety concerns or by grant funding the town received. Although there are more streets that require attention, only so much funding and time can be put into each project, in one year.
Appointments
Councilors voted 10-0 to confirm the appointment of Joanne Brown to be appointed to the Agawam Housing Authority, to a term expiring in January 2027. They also unanimously approved of the reappointments of Frank C. Pignatare and Aldo Mancini to the Agawam Veterans Council, with terms expiring April 1, 2025, and the reappointment of two members of the Agawam Housing Committee, Paul Jenney and Mildred Potter, to terms expiring Oct. 1, 2024.
Public hearing
An ordinance to amend the code of the town of Agawam Zoning Ordinance regarding drive-in and drive-through restaurants will have a public hearing on March 7.