West Springfield Town Councilor Brian Griffin explains the work done so far by the Enrollment Advisory Committee.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
WEST SPRINGFIELD — At a public hearing on amending zoning bylaws to regulate accessory dwelling units, such as in-law apartments and tiny homes, a few residents presented their questions. The units became permitted “by right” in the state when the Affordable Housing Act was signed in June 2024.
Defined in the bylaw as “a self-contained housing unit, inclusive of sleeping, cooking and sanitary facilities on the same lot as a principal dwelling,” accessory dwelling units can be a separate building, an addition to a home or contained within the footprint of an existing building. They are allowed in all residential zones in West Springfield and cannot be subject to more restrictive setbacks and dimensions than the primary dwelling.
Accessory dwelling units are required to have a separate entrance for safe egress, an off-street parking space and have a gross floor space no larger than 900 square feet or half the size of the primary dwelling, whichever is smaller. As with all residences, accessory dwelling units must comply with state environmental, building and sanitary codes. Accessory dwelling units are subject to a site plan review, and a special permit is required to build more than one unit on a single lot.
Jim Albano expressed concern that the bylaw calls for a minimum of one additional off-street parking space for accessory dwelling units. Albano said it is likely that people living in accessory dwelling units will have company. Living on a one-lane street that measures 11 feet, 10 inches in width, he said it is impossible to safely pass vehicles parked on the side of the road, particularly for emergency vehicles. He asked that the minimum number of off-street spaces be increased for one-lane roads.
Albano also said that there is no recourse for “we the people,” neighbors of a property where an accessory unit is being built. Kate O’Brien Scott, chief of staff and general counsel for the town of West Springfield, said that if the property owner is not following the law, people can contact the zoning enforcement officer, but Albano wanted a process to appeal the officer’s decisions. O’Brien Scott suggested the person bring their complaints to the Building Department.
That said, O’Brien Scott explained that accessory dwelling units are as of right use in all residential zones and can only be denied if it fails to meet “very specific” criteria.
Councilor Daniel O’Brien said the state legislature is “in decree mode,” and pointed to the affordable Housing Act’s regulations around accessory housing units. He said that the town is “going to have people packing in.” Although various legislators had voted with the majority “the state is becoming dictatorial,” O’Brien said.
During the public comment period, residents brought up concerns about the future of Mittineague School, which is being studied by that town’s Enrollment Advisory Committee. One resident dismissed the idea of shutting down or replacing Mittineague. She said Coburn School is only 3 years old and already has HVAC issues and the rodent problem. “You have to make sure there is a maintenance program from day one,” she said. She added that the town cannot wait to fix the issues and that county officials had not been managing money for school repairs correctly.
Another resident demanded Superintendent Stefania Raschilla announce what will be done with the school before the election takes place this fall. She “owes it to the taxpayers,” they said.
Councilor Brian Griffin, who serves on the Enrollment Advisory Committee, said the process of reviewing the town’s schools is still underway. He reminded residents that the issues with the town’s schools were identified in 2005, when a School Master Plan by Caolo & Bieniek Associates called for the renovation and modernization of the town’s elementary schools. The plan recommended the town renovate one school every couple years with Cowing and Mittneague facing decommissioning.
Unable to follow through on that timeline, the School Master Plan was updated in 2014. In 2022, the new Coburn School opened — the first of the elementary schools to be addressed.
In January, after 26 people who Griffin said were “looking for answers” signed a petition, he and Councilor Michael LaFlamme urged the town to study the schools’ enrollment and how the educational facilities can accommodate West Springfield’s students. Griffin said the committee has “studied every aspect,” visited all the town school facilities and spoken with school administrators. He insisted the committee it was actively transparency and said input from residents was welcomed.
As it stands, Griffin said, it would cost an estimated $135 million to simply bring the schools up to code. This would not address the outdated facilities and overcrowding problem at some schools. “Kids shouldn’t be learning in closets,” he said. He explained that the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which uses tax money to reimburse municipalities for school building repairs and construction, will only accept buildings that will last 50 years or more. The extent and cost of Mittineague’s needed repairs also eliminate it from MSBA consideration, he said.
Moving on, Councilor Anthony DiStefano took issue with a request by Community Preservation Committee Chair Allen Howard to allow the use of preservation funding to repair a privately-owned barn. DiStefano said community preservation funding was not intended to be used for private property and he had concerns that it would set a precedent. He recalled that repairs to the church at 732 Elm St., now the home of Ghost Hit Recording, had been funded through community preservation funding. A provision of the agreement required that the funding be paid back should the owners sell the building within a certain period. O’Brien Scott said that stipulation was now standard in grant agreements with the town.
O’Brien asked what criteria had been used to determine the barns’ historic nature. The CPC chair said your body consults with historic preservationist from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, who reviews the buildings’ age, construction style and whether it is viewable from the street. “There aren’t too many old barns left that are historic,” he said, acknowledging that the process is “somewhat subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Councilor Frederick Connor added that the structure was an example of the unique architecture of the period. “There’s barns and then there’s barns,” he said. He also noted that the owner had spent $20,000 to put a new roof on the structure, but there was still a “very real” possibility of collapse in the future. Nonetheless, he questioned what was stopping private property owners from seeking “any old house or barn” to be designated historic.
Howard said residents can only apply for funds if they apply and the property is reviewed by a preservationist. While there is no state guideline on what constitutes “historical,” the preservationist uses the same criteria as the National Register of Historic Places, Howard said.
Councilor William Forfa said the First Congregational Church, which the town owns, meets the same criteria and should supersede the barn as a funding priority because it has “saved souls.” Howard said the church is under reviewed.
O’Brien expressed confidence in the Community Preservation Committee, saying that they do their due diligence. The matter passed a vote of the council, with only Forfa dissenting.
The council also considered the possibility of employing a truancy officer, who would be under the direct supervision of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department. Councilor Jamie Smith said the role was needed in town and Councilor Brian Clune agreed. “What we’re doing is not working,” he said adding that there would be “zero arrests” made by the truancy officer.
West Springfield Public Schools Executive Director for Communication Kerry Martins said absenteeism was an issue and that, while less than a month into the school year, 700 students — 15% of the district — had missed 10% or more of school days, classifying them as chronically absent. The work of a truancy officer is in “building relations, rather than acting “punitive.”
DiStefano was unconvinced. He posed the question, “Are we better off having a law enforcement officer, which this person would be, going door to door,” or “someone trained in truancy?”
Martins later told Reminder Publishing that she does not believe the absenteeism in West Springfield, a town that was ranked fourth in the nation in 2020 for refugee resettlements, is related to fears of deportation and Immigrant and Customs Enforcement officers stopping people in public. While she said that may be the case in other municipalities, such as Springfield, West Springfield has lower numbers of Latino immigrants and more families with legal status. She also offered assurance that West Springfield would never allow federal law enforcement into its buildings without prior approval and cause.
The truancy officer discussion was continued until the Oct. 6 council meeting.
