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Date: 5/18/2022
HOLYOKE – Sen. Elizabeth Warren made the trip to City Hall in Holyoke on May 13 to meet with Mayor Joshua Garcia as well as state and local officials to discuss American Rescue Plan Act funding.
The city of Holyoke was awarded roughly $30 million in rescue plan funding and the city is focused on using these funds for small businesses in both the High Street and Dwight Street sectors of Holyoke.
City officials presented Warren with three separate projects they were hoping to complete with the help of federal funding. The first project presented was focused on the combined sewer overflows in parts of Holyoke.
City Engineer Bob Peirent gave the presentation and explained to the Senator that the EPA has given a consent order to continue eliminating combined sewers over time as it will likely take many years to fully substitute the method. Peirent added the city is estimating a 30 to 50-year project window with about $100 million worth of investments to get there. At this point in the project, Peirent says they are just trying to meet compliance with the EPA to start eliminating overflows.
“I think there’s going to be a lot more money in some areas. We already know we passed an infrastructure bill that has a lot of water infrastructure, sewage infrastructure, pieces like that,” Warren said. “I think we’re also going to see more on green infrastructure.”
The second project presented to Warren was on behalf of Yoni Glogower, conservation and sustainability director in Holyoke. Glogower spoke on the ongoing project the city has with Kestrel Land Trust to revitalize Holyoke’s largest and most historical park, Anniversary Hill Park.
Anniversary Hill first opened in 1923 to celebrate Holyoke’s 50th anniversary as a city and the land is about 75 acres. Glogower says with Kestrel the city has been able to secure the remaining acres on the land north of Scott Tower to now have full access to the property. Projects will be focused on restoration of the park.
The final project presented to Warren was briefly explained by Garcia as no members of the School Committee were present to discuss projects, they are looking at to reduce the carbon footprint and energy use in school buildings. Garcia said it is a $2 million project to bring in a return on energy use and savings on taxpayers’ money.
Each project presented was written in further detail to Warren and her team and sent to them before the meeting.
“I will say the fact we don’t have solar panels on top of every flat roof school here in Massachusetts, I just think its obscene. We should be investing in so you don’t have to pay money every month to keep the schools heated all through the winter,” Warren said. “We should be making these decisions rapidly. I’m enthusiastic about trying to get support for this. It’s long-term good on climate, but it’s also long-term good on the budget.”
Garcia added, “There’s a lot of work that we want to do in establishing our city-wide energy reduction plan. There’s a lot we can be doing, not only to benefit the climate, the environment, but also to reduce liability and costs for taxpayers for sure.”
The remaining portion of the meeting had city officials talk to Warren about affordable housing development in Holyoke and some of the challenges faced.
Director of Planning and Economic Development Aaron Vega explained to Warren that while effort is continuing to be made to create affordable housing, there was currently small incentive for developers to come into Holyoke and make a profit, something the city is focused on adjusting to as it has created challenges in these efforts.
Following the meeting at City Hall, Warren, Garcia and others walked down the streets of Holyoke and went to The Plan, a salon by the water on Dwight Street.
The salon served as an example to Warren the reusing of old factory and warehouse building space for new business opportunities in Holyoke.