Editor’s note: This week, the Greenfield Recorder is running a series of articles on what residents can likely expect in 2022. This installment focuses on Montague, Gill and Erving.
By JULIAN MENDOZA
Emerging from another year ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, officials in Montague, Gill and Erving remain optimistic that 2022 can remain productive with major improvement efforts, including redevelopment of former mill complexes and the installation of safety barriers on the French King Bridge.
Town Administrator Steve Ellis broadly categorized Canal District improvements as a focal point for Montague heading into 2022, seeing them as a matter of “re-envisioning the spaces that have been under-utilized for so long.” The improvements, the largest of which have been on the town’s radar for years, include the removal of the former Railroad Salvage building and the MassDevelopment-funded reuse assessment of the former Strathmore Mill building.
“Having those concrete findings and receiving state funding … is really going to be key in carrying the town forward,” Ellis said of the $35,000 MassDevelopment allocated in December for the Strathmore Mill reuse assessment.
He similarly grouped together Sandy Lane’s ongoing improvement projects as an exciting area of development to keep tabs on in 2022. In particular, he identified this year’s Kearsarge Energy burn dump capping and solar array installation as an encouraging step toward a greener community.
“We are incredibly happy to see what was once an ecological problem now a properly capped dump that is now generating solar electricity,” Ellis said.
Ellis also expressed excitement over the upcoming completion of the $9.5 million state and federally funded Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) garage project, also on Sandy Lane.
“As industrial land is increasingly hard to come by in Western Massachusetts, we’re increasingly excited,” he said.
Infrastructure aside, Ellis credited the fortitude of Montague residents, businesses and town employees for helping the town stay strong throughout the pandemic. He anticipates their continued resilience in the coming year.
“I just want to celebrate the incredible effort of town employees and businesses and residents for working so hard … and look forward to more of the same in 2022,” he said.
Town Administrator Ray Purington is looking forward to the delivery of a new dump truck for the Highway Department by spring. Approved at Town Meeting, the $205,000 2022 model heavy duty truck will replace the town’s current truck, a 2009 Sterling dump truck, which has had more than $100,000 invested into it.
“When it comes to winter snow removal, it’s important to have a fleet that’s reliable all the time,” Purington said. “I think this new piece of equipment will drastically improve the reliability that we have.”
Another big development expected in 2022 will also come on wheels: the town’s first hybrid police cruiser, a 2022 Ford Interceptor.
“If things go well, we might get it in late January,” Purington said of the cruiser.
The purchase, made Dec. 22, follows Police Chief Christopher Redmond’s two-vehicle accident that resulted in a “total loss” of his cruiser and a $52,612 insurance settlement. The Selectboard also authorized $5,000 be allocated from Northfield Mount Hermon School funding in support of the purchase.
“Getting the fleet back to three cruisers is a really important part,” Purington said.
Yearslong desires between Gill and Erving to install safety barriers at the French King Bridge coming to fruition in the summer of 2022 make up a topic near the top of Purington’s list as well. The project will be funded 80% by the Federal Highway Administration and 20% by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
According to David Comerford of MassDOT’s contracted design firm Gill Engineering, the barriers will be 9 feet tall, and are intended to match the style of the bridge and limit disrupting the view of the river. The design was endorsed by the Selectboards of Gill and Erving.
“It’s rewarding to see that finally some of these efforts are paying off,” Purington said, as the project was gaining momentum in 2019. “It seems to be a glimmer of hope. … Now we just need to keep the lobbying pressure to get the money.”
Other projects Purington highlighted as Gill’s greatest in 2022 include the completion of Gill Elementary School’s floor replacement project, updates to Riverview Drive’s sewer pump station, and negotiation of a host community agreement with Leaf Joy, which is slated to be Gill’s first cannabis retail business.
Assistant Town Planner Mariah Kurtz identified the former International Paper Mill’s upcoming request for proposals period as one of Erving’s most significant tasks in 2022.
The vacant complex is currently being eyed by two developers looking to implement residential and commercial space. Kurtz said having the site developed would benefit the town by eliminating blight, offering public open space opportunities, combating housing shortages, increasing affordable housing, potentially bringing in commerce, reusing a brownfields property, and strengthening the link between Erving and Millers Falls in Montague.
“Erving has previously only had commercial or industrial interest expressed for this property,” Kurtz previously wrote in an email, “so getting two residential submissions is of note.”
Erving plans to open the request for proposals period on Jan. 26, with a due date of March 30. The town will review proposals in April before selecting one and beginning contract agreements in May.
In addition, Kurtz said the town is looking to add a cemetery as space in Erving Center and Holton Historical cemeteries dwindle. The new cemetery would promote “green burials,” or burials in natural settings that don’t involve embalming chemicals, concrete vaults or coffins. She said no procurement has been conducted yet and Erving hopes to begin consultation regarding design and location in the spring.
“We obviously want to size it appropriately so we can use it for a long time,” Kurtz said.
A town improvement that particularly excites Kurtz is the upcoming addition of a sculpture in Riverfront Park. She said Erving has $10,000 in grant funding to put toward the project. The town plans to start its search for an artist in early February.
“Erving has very little traditional public art. … It offers a connection to our natural world and a connection to nature,” Kurtz said.
Kurtz also mentioned the codification of town bylaws and a grant-funded Americans with Disabilities Act self-evaluation/transition plan as important developments to be pursued in the new year.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.