Westlake Residents Present Park Concern at Council Meeting

Several residents of condominiums in the Westlake section of town attended the Common Council meeting Monday night to express concern about the conditions of Westlake Park, which was formerly maintained by the Westlake Residential Association.

The Association no longer exists, which has created the problem of a park without a group to maintain it.

Bill Maune, addressed the Council and asked for help with the park. Members of the informal Westlake Group indicated that the park was unkempt and potentially dangerous.

Esther Greene, of Trolley Crossing, indicated that bridges on the property, which lead to an island in the lake, are in disrepair, and that they are desperately in need of repair. Sean Brennan, an apartment manager, said that he was told by police that the park served as an escape route for individuals who were responsible for break-ins in the area. Bob Paradis, one of the original members of the Westlake Residential Association noted that maintenance fees once provided a fund to keep the park in good shape, and that if the fees could be collected again, the park might be resurrected.

City attorney, Tim Lynch indicated that the absence of a legal owner of the park made it impossible to transfer the park to the city to adopt as a city park. He did note, at the suggestion of Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, that the Residential Association could be revived to either begin collecting park maintenance fees again, or to transfer the property to the city.

The mayor, and Council members asked Lynch to meet with Westlake area residents to advise them of ways in which they could begin to solve the problem.