SIXTEEN ACRES CIVIC
ASSOCIATION, INC.
=======================================
Sixteen
Acres Civic Association
Meeting
September 19, 2001
Jean Masse—President, presiding
The meeting
was brought to order by our president, Jean and we had a moment of silence for
all the people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
We would
like to use a tape recorder to tape the meetings. A motion was made to tape all
future meetings. It was seconded and passed by all!
Karen
Powell, our treasurer read the minutes for August. A motion was made to pass the
minutes as read. The motion was seconded and passed by all
present.
Treasurer,
Karen Powell read the report. The balance is $1,863.17. A motion was made to
accept the treasurer’s report. The motion was seconded and passed by all
present.
GUEST
SPEAKER: Mr. Sullivan from the Springfield Parks Department
Greenleaf
Park renovations are going very well. The softball field and the skateboard park
are complete. To date $500,000.00 has been spent on fixing up Greenleaf Park.
The city is still waiting for more state money to be passed in the budget to
finish more things around Greenleaf Park and other things that need to be done
at the library. We need to keep calling Senator Lees and other legislators and
ask them to vote on the new budget. Senator Lees office # is
543-2167.
The city is
interested in buying Camp Wilder on Parker Street. It is 32 acres of opens
space. The cost is 1.2 million dollars. Joe Roder from the conservation
commission is trying to secure a grant that would help the city to buy the land.
An appraisal is currently being done. There will be no snow- mobiles at Camp
Wilder. A youth golf program and learning center is planned. Montessori School
is having trouble with parking spaces for all the staff. They would like a
playground or a gym on the property.
Bass Pond
and Forest Park ponds and other city ponds are having trouble with weeds. The
city would like to use a chemical called Reward to kill the weeds and to help
with better drainage. Springfield and Stockbridge are 2 towns that, by law,
cannot use herbicides. Once they can be treated with Reward or Roundup , it will not have to be
done for 8-10 years. You can now fish in Barney Pond at Forest Park, it has not
been allowed in 20 years.
16 Acres
Library---The parking lot is hard to get in and out of. There could be better
stripes or arrows to get in and out better. There could also be signs or a
light. Mr. Sullivan said he would talk to Al Chwalek about these issues. We
should talk to our legislators and try to set up a meeting with them and Traffic
Commission. A motion was made to sign a petition and send it to Senator Lees and
to the Acting Governor Jane Swift.
South Branch
Parkway, Park Drive and Grayson are now City Streets. It is easier to get
Chapter 91 funds.
Old
Business:
Membership is at 150
members. 17 are new members. We meet the 3rd Tuesday at 7:00pm at
Church in the Acres.
Holiday
Social has been discussed at the last Board of Directors meeting and will be
discussed again at the next meeting. More info to follow.
New
Business:
Beat
Management meeting was held recently and off campus houses are having parties
and it is a real problem. Community Police has almost used up the grant money to
help with the problems. The colleges do not want to put in money at this point,
they will help Peter Fett look for grant money. The Planning Dept. is trying to
pass an ordinance that single family homes cannot rent to a lot of college kids.
There is a zero tolerance for loud and large parties. The rules are keep the
party inside, keep the party quiet, and keep the party small.
Billboards—at the City Council meeting on September 17, 2001, there was
an ordinance proposed that no one can put up a billboard within 300 ft of a
school, church, park, and cemetery or next to a scenic river. Every neighborhood
council supported the ordinance, but the City Council voted it down 7-1. Carol
Lewis Caulton was the only City Council person to vote in support of the
ordinance. A motion was made to have the City Council, 1) draft a moratorium on
construction of new billboards, along with the new ordinance, 2) ban any further
construction of new billboards, 3) and to have adequate taxation for all signs.
The motion was passed. All but one person voted against the
motion.
Walter Gould
asked Jean to announce the Greater Springfield Senior Group will have a meeting
October 2, at
7:00 pm at the Christian Life Center on Sumner Ave. The agenda will include
Alzheimers and many other topics.
Reverend
Nicewonger of the Church in the Acres asked if the 16 Acres Civic Assoc. could
collect pencils and pens so they could be donated to the Spfld. school children.
A motion was made to spend $50.00 to purchase pencils and pens and donate them
to Spfld. schools. Could we get a picture of our group giving the pencils and
pens and try to get it in the newspaper.
The new
ordinance on cell phone towers has been released. Richard Greenberg is
rereading. Richard would like to see the word conforming added to the
ordinance.
Motion to add word “conforming” the preference for locating
antennas on existing towers.
16 Acres
Food Drive---- Will be held on November 10th 2001 at Food Mart on Cooley Street.
We need more volunteers for this year, please sign up.
Respectfully
submitted
Ruth
Moorhouse
SIXTEEN ACRES CIVIC ASSOCIATION,
INC.
340 Cooley Street * PO Box
264
Springfield MA 01128 * Phone:
782-0339
E-mail: sixteenacres_ca@yahoo.com
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