WILBRAHAM — After hearing in previous weeks from people who expressed concern and frustration with the traffic and vendors from the Wilbraham Hill Climb, an event in which participants race antique vehicles up the intensely steep slope of Monson Road, several residents who were ardently in favor of the event spoke before the Select Board on July 28.
Select Board Chair Michael Squindo read an email from resident Ray Bucknell, whose home is on the corner of Main Street and Monson Road, near the starting line. He praised the Hill Climb as a source of pride. Others shared similar sentiments. Leslie Wood said it is a part of Wilbraham’s history, as the race began in 1908 to test vehicles being made in Springfield.
Aside from pride in the event, residents spoke about the sense of community the event engenders. “I want to see people in our town have a great time. I want to see kids off their Xbox and on Main Street with their friend,” said Kevin Burke. He urged the board to explore ways to improve the Hill Climb, rather than end it.
A Monson Road resident who lives at the race’s finish line said, “It’s just a great event” that brings new business to town. He said Wilbraham does not have any annual parades and the Peach Festival is now defunct. “What else do we have to bring people together?” he said.
During the board’s discussion of whether to continue allowing the event, Select Board member Marc Ducey said it was helpful to hear positive impressions of the Hill Climb considering how many negative comments he had heard. While he still had reservations about the safety of vehicles racing up the road, he said he was otherwise, “fairly supportive” and acknowledged that the event was “unique” to the area.
Select Board member Susan Bunnell said the organizers “made some significant improvements” to their communication with the town. She said she was inclined to approve the event for 2026.
Squindo was less convinced. He said the event hinders traffic along a “major artery” through town. He also said that people mostly seemed to support the community aspect, rather than the race itself. He did not think the race needed to be an annual event.
The board voted to remain in discussion with organizers about the 2026 Hill Climb.
Tree Warden David Graziano hosted a public hearing with the Select Board to discuss National Grid’s proposal to trim or removal about 69 town-owned shade trees along Springfield Street and Stony Hill Road.
Town Counsel Brian Winner explained that the Tree Warden had the authority to approve the utility’s vegetation management plan, unless a written objection was submitted, as had happened in this case. Because of this, the Select Board had the final authority to approve or deny the plan.
National Grid representative Ryan Kress said the circuit along the two roadways is among the worst performing 5% in the state in terms of power outages. The expanded vegetation management program is designed to address trees that are likely to fall on or interfere with “critical” power lines due to snow and ice in the winter or winds during summer storms. Some trees, while not on the power lines, would pose a danger if they fell on the lines, Kress said. As such, trees that are within 10 feet of the power lines would be trimmed, or removed, if needed. The trimming or removal of the trees on the plan would reduce power outages by 80%, he said.
Reviewing the list of affected trees, Squindo pointed out that proximity to the power line was the sole reason listed for removal of several trees. He asked if they could be trimmed instead. Kress explained that in those cases, the amount of trimming required would kill the tree, at which point it would need to be removed anyway.
Ducey said there needed to be a “fine balance” between safety and power outages, and the “character” and “beauty” provided by the town’s trees. He asked if the tree would be replaced. Graziano said he was planning to pursue 50/50 grants, which require the town provide a matching amount of money, to replant trees along the roadways over the next three years.
A resident at 446 Stony Hill Rd., who had submitted the written objection, spoke against the plan, which would affect trees in front of her property. She said many of the trees are otherwise healthy and did not need to be removed. Further, she said that she planned to bring a bylaw before the fall Town Meeting that would prevent the removal of any tree larger than 18 inches in diameter that was not dead or dying.
However, Kress said that many mature trees that were planted along the tree belt should not have been because they are species that grow larger than 20 feet in height. National Grid’s vegetation plans are based on the “right tree, right place” best practices. Several of the trees on the list are also invasive species, such as the Norway maple, he said.
Kress said that the changing climate has led to longer growing seasons and trees are reaching larger sizes over fewer years than in the past. The enhanced vegetation management plan was National Grid’s method of keeping the trees from getting out of hand.
Graziano said, “Tree wardens take their jobs very seriously” and that they took an oath to preserve the community’s trees. Having surveyed the trees on the list, however, he said, “There’s not one [tree] I would want to save.”
The resident asked the Select Board to intercede. Ducey said, “I don’t want to lose any adult trees” but said he trusted Graziano’s judgment. Similarly, said that she had “learned a lot” from the discussion and was “comfortable” with the warden’s recommendation. While Squindo joined his colleagues in declining to override Graziano’s decision, he told Kress that the more aggressive vegetation plan was only one way to address the longer growing season.
