Community Spotlight: West Springfield
West Springfield Takes Active Approach to Growth
Mayor Edward Sullivan says the quality of life in West Springfield helps attract new businesses to the town.
“In the past, we moved like an aircraft carrier,” he said, meaning more deliberately. “But we are no longer sitting back on our heels. Instead, we have taken a proactive approach and are moving from a passive role to an active role. We’re doing a better job of marketing through our website and collaborations with regional agencies and commercial brokers. Nothing happens overnight, but we’ve laid the groundwork and put a strategic plan in place.”
To that end, Tara Gehring has been hired as the town’s first economic-development coordinator and assistant planner. She grew up in West Springfield, completed an internship in town, has a master’s degree in regional planning, and is part of a new team Sullivan created that meets with him weekly to brainstorm ideas to promote economic development. Members include Mark Noonan, the town’s conservation officer and assistant planner, and Douglas Mattoon, director of planning and development.
“We call ourselves the ‘crossroads of New England,’” said Sullivan. “And we have a lot to offer, including access to Interstate 91, Route 90, and Route 5, which meet in West Springfield, along with the CSX rail yard, which is the largest rail yard in Southern New England. And we believe that new investments by business owners will add to the quality of life.”
However, the mayor told BusinessWest the town is also investing in itself. He pointed to its new, $107 million high school, which opened in February; a $16.1 million library reconstruction and renovation project that is underway; and recent infrastructure improvements. He said they are all important because when communities are rated, these things, along with public safety, recreation, and access to highways, are taken into account.
Sullivan’s team meetings have resulted in marketing initiatives that include a redesign of the town’s website, which now contains links to commercial banks and business opportunities. “If someone is looking for commercial property, they can visit the website instead of having to look on their own. In the past, the town did not have a listing of available commercial sites,” Gehring said.
New guidebooks have also been created that are available online or at Town Hall. The first is titled “Business and Residents’ Guide to Permits and Licensing,” and lists the town’s departments and the permits they handle. There is also a more comprehensive version called the “West Springfield Permitting Guidebook.” It is more detailed and includes the names and contact information of the employees in each town department, as well as office hours and other pertinent information.
In addition, monthly open houses will begin Sept. 9. They will be held on the second Tuesday of each month from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. for people hoping to open a new business or expand an existing one. The sessions will be attended by the heads of every department involved in the permitting process and will give people the opportunity to discuss their projects in a group setting.
“We wanted to remove any hoops or hurdles that businesses face, so we’re trying to streamline the process,” said the mayor. “It’s all part of our new, proactive approach.”
Mattoon noted that people who attend the meetings will have instant access to critical information, such as zoning laws and parking regulations. “In the past, there was no way to get representatives from every department to discuss a project. People had to go to each individual department, and in some cases, they were not aware of what was going on in other departments.”
Noonan added that these sessions will allow town officials to work more cohesively. “We want to change the way we operate as a municipality, and these meetings will provide us with business owners’ concerns so we can address them in a faster and more efficient manner.”
Sullivan concurred. “Time is money, and people would rather get a quick ‘no’ than a six-month ‘yes,’” he said.
Dedicated Measures
This summer, a team of experts began the preliminary work needed to create a new use for the former Southwick Paper Co. mill site at 150 Front St.
“We hope to revitalize the property and have it serve as an economic-development catalyst; it’s situated on the Westfield River and has an old canal on it,” Sullivan said, noting that Fibermark’s world headquarters are located in a separate building on the property.
From left, Mark Noonan, Tara Gehring, and Douglas Mattoon meet with Mayor Edward Sullivan every week to brainstorm ideas to promote economic development.
A public forum was held on Aug. 14 by the UMass researchers to gain input from neighbors and interested parties on what they would like to see built on the multi-level site, which includes several buildings.
“The district has vast potential because access to the river has not been taken advantage of, and there was discussion about using the site for small light manufacturing, condominiums, retail shops, and even a micro-brewery,” said Mattoon, adding that rezoning may be required to bring the plan to fruition. “All of the ideas had merit, and once we get the final report, the next step will be to implement the goals and objectives.”
In addition, improvements to other areas of the town are changing the landscape. They include an initial plan unveiled in June for a $650,000 Mittineague Park Gateway Project. The work is expected to be finished next year and will include a new pedestrian bridge along the nature trail and improvements to the park’s entranceway, the community garden, a horseshoes tournament pit, and parking facilities. In addition, accessibility to areas around the park, such as the Ezekiel Day House, commonly known as Santa’s House, will be improved.
Traffic flow to the UNICO building located within the park will also be modified, and a $1.4 million renovation of that structure, which began a year ago, has just been completed.
“Now it can be used year-round as a recreational facility,” said Mattoon, noting that the building, which was as constructed by volunteers from the nonprofit service club in the 1970s, was outdated and had never been insulated, so heating costs prohibited using it during the winter.
Improvements include a new kitchen, outdoor playscape, pool, picnic area, and parking lot as well as handicap accessibility.
“It can hold 100 to 150 people, and our plan is to have it become a meeting space for groups such as the Garden Club; the Senior Center will also use it as an ancillary building,” Mattoon said.
Sullivan added that “these things are important because people who do site reviews look at a town’s amenities. We’re investing in West Springfield in hopes that businesses will, too.”
The lack of parking in the Merrick Memorial District and downtown area is another obstacle officials are working to remove, as it has been a roadblock for business owners who have expressed interest in these sections of town but felt the problem was significant enough to settle elsewhere.
“Our zoning is not consistent with the needs of small businesses, especially in the Merrick section,” Noonan said, adding that the district now includes several empty storefronts.
He noted that the regulations were adequate when they were created in the ’50s because, at that time, people who lived there were able to walk to work at nearby companies such as Gibarco, and do the majority of their shopping in the neighborhood. “So many families didn’t own a car,” he told BusinessWest.
Sullivan said efforts are being made to expand the restrictive regulations, and measures may include shared parking space. For example, a business that is open during the day might share space with a restaurant that opens in the evening.
“Things that functioned for the 20th century are being re-examined or built anew for the 21st century,” Noonan added.
To that end, Gehring is exploring areas of town that haven’t been examined for a while to determine if business owners in these locations need help. For example, she recently visited the large industrial section behind Century Plaza on Memorial Avenue, but was happy to report that the business owners didn’t need any assistance from the town.
In addition, Gehring is working closely with the West of the River Chamber’s economic-development team to open lines of communication. “And in June, West Springfield had a table at the Western Mass. Developers Conference in Springfield — it was the first time the town was represented,” Gehring said, adding that she narrated a bus tour through the town in which she highlighted several neighborhoods.
“I want to help move our community forward for the next generation by assisting businesses and improving investment in West Springfield,” she added.
Infrastructure improvement is also ongoing, and West Springfield has undertaken more road repairs this year than it has in the last three or four years. In addition, the town put in a new water main from the Southwick Well Fields to the tanks and feeder system, and purchased additional land to protect the water supply.
The town also enacted a zone change in July in the Memorial Corridor Overlay District. “It was adapted to achieve economic stimulus as well as a means of protection from adverse uses that may or may not be associated with a casino built 800 yards from the West Springfield border,” Mattoon said. “It prohibits businesses such as pawn shops, but opens up opportunities for small businesses operating in 900 square feet or less that were previously not allowed, as it had industrial zoning.”
Multiple Offerings
Sullivan says the improvements West Springfield has made and continues to make, coupled with its focus on helping business owners succeed, should result in growth.
“Why wouldn’t a business want to come here?” he asked rhetorically. “We have everything they could want, and we plan to continue to invest money to enhance the quality of life in town. There is a lot going on here, and it all adds up to what government can do to help promote economic development.”
West Springfield at a glance
Year Incorporated: 1774
Population: 28,391 (2010)
Area: 17.5 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $16.41
Commercial Tax Rate: $31.99
Median Household Income: $40,266 (2010)
Family Household Income: $50,282 (2010)
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Northeast Utilities; Brightside for Families and Children; Home Depot; Itt Exelis; UPS
* Latest information available
