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Date: 4/13/2022
CHICOPEE – A trio of appointments for the Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation (WMDC) Board of Directors and an update regarding the dormant SilverBrick property were presented during the City Council meeting on April 5.
Mayor John Vieau discussed the appointments during his mayor’s orders. With his appointments originally expiring in February, Vieau shared his decision to re-appoint Treasuer Marie Laflamme and Edward Czepiel, along with appointing Jim Hosey as a new member of the WMDC board.
WMDC, a quasi-public development company operating in the Westover area, continues to be a subject of controversy regarding the Slate Conservation Area. The developer purchased a piece of Slate Road property in 2009 for $1.45 million. WMDC’s purchase has caused disagreements between the mayor’s office, neighbors of the property and Ward 6 City Councilor Derek Dobosz.
When conversations surrounding the area intensified in late 2020, Dobosz and citizens of the area expressed interest in placing the land under permeant conservation, while Vieau and his team remain open to exploring a possible land swap or other solutions.
Mary Hayner, a member of the Slate Conservation Area Alliance, expressed interest in learning more about the WMDC appointments and their perspectives. During the public speakout period, she requested for the appointments to be sent to a subcommittee meeting for further evaluations.
“The only way to successfully resolve the ongoing disagreement regarding the Slate Conservation area is to have an ongoing, open and transparent dialogue with WMDC. The Chicopee appointees to the WMDC Board of Directors should be active participants in that dialogue,” said Hayner.
Ward 7 City Councilor William Courchesne and Dobosz shared their support for Hayner’s request. Courchesne expressed that he still has questions regarding the subject matter, while Dobosz stressed that a transparent dialogue is needed for the two sides to develop an agreeable compromise.
“I’d like to see compromise…I just don’t believe the residents have to do the first gesture of goodwill. If we appoint these board members tonight, we will lose our leverage in negotiating with WMDC,” said Dobosz.
Ward 1 City Councilor Joel McAuliffe advocated for a different solution. From prior talks with the WMDC Board of Directors, McAuliffe shared that the developer expressed interest in a meeting with the council and public regarding the controversy. The councilor said he believes the appointments should be approved immediately because of WMDC’s willingness to discuss the matter.
“I think we need a diplomatic reset here…I think its in the best interest of the city and the neighborhood to find the best way forward,” said McAuliffe.
After brief discussion, the City Council ultimately approved sending the reappointments to a future subcommittee meeting before a final decision is made.
SilverBrick
Following the Zoning Committee’s decision to decline SilverBrick Mills withdrawal request for a special permit during a March 30 meeting, Zoning Committee member and City Councilor At-Large Robert Zygarowski provided an update on the SilverBrick situation. The business complex suddenly closed on March 1 due to unaddressed safety concerns, with the city implementing a fire watch team to allow business owners to evacuate the property.
During the March 30 meeting, Acting Building Commissioner Frank Boron said the situation between the city and SilverBrick Mills owner 4 Perkins LLC led to an April 1 court case on the matter. With the court case pending, former tenants were unable to move out their property until a solution was reached.
Zygarowski shared that he spoke to Boron after the court session. The councilor said the city and SilverBrick came to an agreement that will allow tenants to evacuate their property via appointment throughout the month of April. The City Council also expressed their support for the Zoning Committee’s decision, ultimately approving the denied withdrawal in a unanimous vote.
The City Council will meet again on April 19.