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Date: 3/1/2023
CHICOPEE – Ward 6 City Councilor Derek Dobosz said he will be leaving politics at the conclusion of his third City Council term.
His announcement during the end of the council’s Feb. 21 meeting ended speculation that Dobosz was considering a bid for the 2023 mayoral race.
“I know there has been a lot of anticipation. I guess the way I announced that fueled some speculation that I was running for mayor. I just want people to know, regretfully, I will be exiting politics when my term ends at the end of this year,” said Dobosz.
Dobosz originally shared with the public he would not be seeking reelection from his council seat in December 2021. He said at that time that future plans are still undecided. Reflecting on his recent update, Dobosz said his decision to leave local politics was not made lightly.
“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I do love this city, I fought very hard for my constituents and for a change in the city,” said Dobosz.
Following his political career, Dobosz, a correctional officer at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, will now pursue an advertising technology start-up.
“For my future plans, I’ve been working on an advertising tech start-up, and it’s starting to get to a point where I don’t feel I will be able to provide the same level of representation to my constituents and focus on my business project,” said Dobosz.
Dobosz was elected to his Ward 6 seat in 2017 at the age of 21, defeating incumbent Timothy McLellan in what was considered to be an upset at the time. Since being elected, Dobosz has served as an active voice on several community issues, most notably the preservation of the Slate Road Conservation Area. The land is considered by many locals to be an essential environmental ecosystem.
The 57-acre property on 0 Fuller Rd. has largely been inactive since it was purchased by Westover Development Corporation in 2008. When a potential zone change arose in 2020, Dobosz and Ward 6 residents vehemently challenged it and asked for the land to be placed under permeant conversation. The zone change was eventually denied, although the future of the land parcel remains undefined.
Dobosz expressed his hopes to find a solution for the Slate Road issue before his term concludes.
“I am sure it’s not likely at this point, but I would like to see a resolution to the Slate Road dispute before I leave office,” said Dobosz.
In 2022, Dobosz and his ward constituents also spearheaded a movement against a proposed Pilot Travel Center that neighbors a similar Pride Travel Center. The project, which would have opened up a truck stop, service center and fast-food restaurant on 357 Burnett Rd., was originally proposed as a mixed-use development with a hotel and restaurant. The developer then changed the concept to a Pilot Travel Center under its Mill Conversion and Commercial Center Overlay District zoning distinction, inciting frustration with residents over the sudden development shift. Dobosz and residents also cited significant traffic concerns with the proposal.
After several meetings, a neighborhood campaign entitled “Chicopee Against the Stop: The Truck Stop Stops Here” and the neighborhood’s hiring of legal counsel to argue against the development, the City Council ultimately denied the project a special permit during their Sept. 8, 2022 meeting.
During his City Council tenure, Dobosz was also an active voice in support of providing additional security resources for the Walmart location on Memorial Drive. That location, which draws 8,000 to 12,000 patrons on a daily basis, is considered one of the most active crime areas in the city.
In a Chicopee Police Department site analysis report from June 2020 to March 2022, the police concluded that the department responded to 142 traffic accidents, 132 shoplifting complaints and 94 disturbances. Twenty-nine arrests occurred during that time at the location, according to the report. Car accidents, larceny and personal disturbances reflect some of the frequent criminal activity that occur there.
Walmart incurred 939 police, fire and emergency service responses during that time compared to 296 responses for Home Depot at 655 Memorial Dr., 224 calls from Big Y at 650 Memorial Dr. and 243 calls from BJ’s Wholesale Club at 650 Memorial Dr.
Dobosz said he hopes to have a meeting with Walmart before the end of his term to “rein them in.”
Additionally, Dobosz will continue to assist Ward 6 School Committee member Samuel Shumsky and the at-large councilors on safety improvements for Moreau Drive. The street was cited as an area with ample reckless driving concerns and is located in close proximity to Litwin Elementary School.
In his final remarks, Dobosz thanked the community and his colleagues for their support.
“I just want to thank my colleagues on this board for my support. I want to thank everybody, not just for supporting me, but for everyone who considered me as a mayoral candidate, it’s quite an honor,” said Dobosz.
Members of the council wished Dobosz well in his new venture. Ward 4 George Balkier, who was also elected in 2017, said he appreciated Dobosz’s insights from his constituents. Ward 9 Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello also considered him a helpful voice during her first term as a city councilor.
Currently, there are no announced candidates for the 2023 mayoral seat or Ward 6 City Council seat.