WEST SPRINGFIELD — Two residents spoke out during the public comment portion of the June 16 Town Council meeting about ongoing concerns of homeless encampments at Lagodich Park and the Connecticut riverfront walkway.
Since resident Susan Muncy first brought up the concern a couple of weeks ago at a previous Town Council meeting, she acknowledged on June 16 that some work has been done to clean up the riverwalk and Lagodich Park but remnants of debris still exists in the area.
After hearing about the concern, Mayor William Reichelt said the city was helping to clean up the area of debris and help those who set up a camp there.
Muncy said that Todd Steglinkski recently went on the riverwalk to let Muncy know that Reichelt was wrong and that the camps are still present and active including picture evidence.
“I want the park and the river walkway — and I know you guys are trying to work with it — just to be brought back to where it was before. I want people to be able to feel comfortable walking there,” Muncy said.
Muncy also claimed that since she has brought this problem to the Town Council, many people in the camps stare at her while she is on her walk and was even approached by one person who told her, “Please be careful. I’m just letting you know because you were nice to me, you gave me a burger, you gave me some water, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
According to Muncy, there have been police on motorcycle patrolling the area, but she claims the encampment has been moved further down the walkway.
“They are still there and now apparently, they were told to [move] out of sight, out of mind and move down further. This quote, unquote, was told to me by someone,” Muncy stated, “I want women and children to be able to be comfortable going down there and feel comfortable. I shouldn’t have to bring my husband or a couple guys down there.”
The call boxes down by the riverwalk are also apparently out of operation.
Town Councilor Daniel O’Brien stated his displeasure with the progress of finding a solution.
He said, “We have been getting extensive and very informative emails on what’s going on, what isn’t going on and the entire situation baffles me for how long it’s been allowed to happen and why they just aren’t cleared out of there. I can’t understand what the reluctance is to clean up that area and trespass those people out of there. They have no right to be there. Enforcement has to take place.”
West Springfield also has plans to extend the path at the riverwalk with state and town funding.
O’Brien said, “I’m not inclined to spend $1.2 million on what is, at this point, a failed project because we can’t keep it safe there.”
Town Councilor Frederick Conor, who represents this district, said he has and will continue to personally meet with the business owners in the extended area around the riverwalk to get feedback on their experience and to let him know if they see anything going on in terms of encampments.
