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West Side closer to Green Community status

Date: 9/17/2015

WEST SPRINGFIELD – West Springfield is now officially a Purple Heart Town. The Military Order of the Purple Heart Western Massachusetts Chapter 875 presented the town with a plaque honoring the announcement at the Town Council meeting on Sept. 14.

Mayor Edward Sullivan and Veterans Service Officer Chris Lizotte accepted the plaque from Chapter 875 Commander Brian Willette on behalf of the town.

Lizotte began working to get West Springfield designated a Purple Heart Town and the Town Council voted to approve the proclamation at its May 4 meeting.

Cities and towns that are designated become a part of the Purple Heart Trail, which stretches across the country as a symbolic roadway that pays tribute to Purple Heart recipients.

Willette said it is a great honor for West Springfield, not only on behalf of those Purple Heart recipients who were present, but also for those who sacrificed their lives on the line of duty.    

“We’re here not for ourselves but for those we left on the battlefield. It’s our duty, it’s our sacred mission to speak for those who can no longer speak for themselves,” he said. “We’re given this opportunity. We’re really grateful to the town of West Springfield for having us.”

After the ceremony, the Town Council went to work, including moving the West Springfield closer to a Green Community Designation.

The final step for the town was to accept the state’s stretch code, which is a building code designed for those municipalities that wanted to strive for energy efficiency.

When the stretch code came to be in 2009, it was more demanding than the established building code, according to Jay Barry, the Department of Energy Resources Green Community regional coordinator. The building code was updated in 2012, bringing it closer to the qualifications of the stretch code.

The only major difference, Barry said, was new residential construction projects would require an independent home energy ratings expert to inspect. The additional cost would be anywhere between $750 to $1,250, Barry said. The Mass Save program, however, can cover most of this burden.

Councilor Lida Powell raised concerns over this cost in circumstantial cases, such as if a house burned down and the owner needed to rebuild. Because it would be a new home, the owners would be subjected to follow the stretch code guidelines, but Barry said it was likely that most of the cost would be reimbursed.

Councilor Bridget Fiala said the benefit of the stretch code, and ultimately the Green Community status, was too good to pass up.

“The pros to this definitely outweigh the few cons we’ve been talking about,” she said.

Green Community status would allow the town to receive $220,000 in funds to put towards energy efficient initiatives.

“Most municipalities will use it in the schools because schools are one of the largest energy users. Things like new boilers, new sophisticated heating systems in the schools, new windows, new insulation,” Barry said. “The money is available for energy efficiency … You have access to funds to do energy efficient things that you only have access to if you jump through the hoops.”

The Town Council also voted unanimously to consolidate the Historical Commission and the Historical District Commission. The Historical District Commission currently has no members.

The Historical Commission will take over the responsibilities of the two historical districts in West Springfield, town attorney Will Reichelt explained to the council. The seven members of the Historical Commission will remain, with four alternates from the Realtors Association and the Preservation Association to deal with issues specific to the historical districts.