Agawam councilor pushes back on new police, fire complex
Updated 10:48 AM;
AGAWAM Now is not the time to spend millions of dollars on a public safety complex, a city councilor told Mayor William Sapelli..
Although no councilor voted against the mayor’s proposed five-year capital spending plan, individual councilors on Monday questioned both the need for a new $30 million police and fire station, and the omission of sewers in southwestern Feeding Hills.
“It’s a luxury. It’s not a necessity,” said Councilor George Bitzas of the public safety proposal, which envisions spending $65,000 on a feasibility study in the coming year, and $30 million for construction beginning in 2026. “With these hard times, all the taxes going up, federal taxes going up, inflation going up, … I don’t think we can use this money for this luxury.”
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80-mile hike the length of R.I. ends with a splash
Hikers cross a bridge along the Rhode Island North South Trail near the Arcadia Management Area. (Betsy Graham)
Phil Plouffe celebrates the end of the hike with a plunge into the Atlantic Ocean at Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown. (Lisa Brownell)
New Agawam solar farm anticipated to be completed by this fall March 2, 2021 |
AGAWAM – A solar array farm on the north side of the old Tuckahoe Turf Farm is expected to be finished by fall of this year.
According to Town Solicitor Stephen Buoniconti, Agawam has been a part of long negotiations with Consolidated Edison, which is the utility company that will operate the array when it is built.
“We originally negotiated a lease agreement on the property,” said Buoniconti, with regard to the town’s relationship with ConEdison. “There are variables in that lease agreement that we didn’t know at the time that changed from then until now.”
Tuckahoe Turf Farm plans start small with access road, canoe launch
Updated Dec 21, 2020;
A failing dam at Tuckahoe Turf Farm in Agawam means a town park on the Feeding Hills property will start with just the basics.
Engineering for an access road and canoe launch is the first step in what will likely be a multi-year, multi-million-dollar project along Pine Street and South West Street in Feeding Hills.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” said Mayor William Sapelli last week. “Unfortunately, it’s a very expensive proposition.”
Sapelli will present the initial plan to the City Council at its Monday meeting. He is asking for $335,800 to draw up the plans, with $153,800 to come from the town’s Community Preservation Act fund and $182,000 to come from free cash.