City celebrates grand opening of trail

Date: 10/17/2012

By Carley Dangona

carley@thereminder.com

WESTFIELD — The Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail (FCGRT) celebrated the completion of the first phase of the path with a grand opening Oct. 12, at its trailhead, accessible via the Shaker Farms Country Club (SFCC).

"The Rail Trail is a major improvement to Westfield," Mark Cressotti, city engineer, said. "It will be one of the key cornerstones of the community."

Cressotti commented on the timeframe of the project. "We've been working this project for a number of years a decade," he explained. "The funding was key; we were made aware of its availability in the summer of 2011. The project was put out to bid in February and had to be completed by June 30 — it was a quick timeline, but we were very successful."

Daniel Kotowitz, owner of the SFCC and president of Western Bronze Inc., explained his role in the first phase of the project. "I'm very happy to work in conjunction with the city," he said. "We donated part of the parking lot area to provide access [to the trailhead]. In addition Western Bronze will donate 10 bike racks — five for the Rail Trail and five to be placed in the community — made especially for the city of Westfield."

Mayor Daniel Knapik offered his opinion of the project during the grand opening dedication. "The stars have aligned for Westfield," he said. "This is a legacy project for our children."

Former Westfield mayor and current secretary of Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth, Richard Sullivan Jr. also attended the event. He commended the city for its investment in the greenway, which provides both economic development and recreational opportunities. He further acknowledged the public and private partnerships made possible by the enterprise.

According to the FCGRT, The Westfield portion of the path runs 3.2 miles from the Westfield River to downtown Westfield. The Rail Trail is a multi-modal linear park that traces the former railroad path of the New York/New Haven/Hartford line.

For more information, visit www.columbiagreenway.org.