Army Unveils Training Facility, Plan to Protect Boardman Lane From Development

Boardman Lane Land to be Preserved by the Army

Pedro Wasmer, representing the group which owns 88 acres on Boardman Lane in Westfield, announced at the Westfield Residents Association quarterly meeting that he had reached an agreement to sell the majority of his land to the Army Corps of Engineers. He said that he wanted to subdivide the land into a 4.6 acre parcel which would include the historic farm and a 52 acre parcel which the Army would purchase, "We are very pleased to keep the land pristine." The sales price for the 52 acres is $1.4M. The remaining acreage is all unbuildable wetlands, except for a 1.6 acre parcel on Boardman Lane, and "less than 8" acres which are not accessible except through the neighboring property owned by Yellow Freight, Wasmer said they have no plans for the remaining land.

Diane McCartin, lead planner for the Armed Forces Reserve Center to be built at Cucia Park, said that the Army has held several working meetings with the Middlesex Land Trust, to transfer ownership of the 52 acres to the Land Trust, "The Army does not prefer to own it in perpetuity." She praised the Land Trust as a local land preservation organization, however, she said that there were federal laws which complicated the possible transfer of land. She was unsure what the long-term ownership of the land would be. McCartin said that under any circumstances the land would have permanent protection from development, written into the deed.

Dennis Lowry, wetlands specialist at the Corps of Engineers, explained that the 52 acres was being preserved to replace the function of 1.6 acres of wetlands to be destroyed at Cucia Park when the Armed Forces Reserve Center is built. He highlighted the efforts they would be undertaking to improve habitat for the Eastern Box Turtle, which include tight regulations on the time of mowing and the height of the blades on the mower. He also said there was a plan for removal of invasive species, and plantings of native trees such as pin oaks and cottonwoods.

The assembled WRA members applauded the outcome for the Boardman Lane land, and thanked Wasmer and McCartin for making it possible. Also in attendance was Council member Ron Klattenberg; speaking for the Mayor's Advisory Panel, which worked to steer the Army towards Cucia Park, Klattenberg said, "This is a dream come true."

The Armed Forces Center Plans

Jim Culkin, of KBE Building Corporation, presented the site plan and schematic of the $51.5M Armed Forces Reserve Center at the former Cucia Park. The complex will include a main building of 160,000 square feet, a storage building of 34,000 square feet, and a large parking lot.

Culkin highlighted the environmental features of the site plan and building, which is being built to achieve a "Silver" under the LEED process of certifying environmentally responsible construction. Storm water run-off will be handled by a series of bioretention basins, galleys below parking structures, and gentle slopes of vegetation to reduce erosion caused by water run-off from the adjacent I91. The building will have a solar water heater, solar power panels, a 'green roof' covered in low-maintenance plants, and be constructed partially with recycled materials.

McCartin said that the site plan would not be reviewed by the City's Inland Wetlands or Planning and Zoning Commission, but sighed that the review done by the Corps of Engineers environmental division and the EPA was extraordinarily thorough.

The ceremonial ground-breaking for the facility will take place on June 10th, although preliminary site work is beginning this week. Occupancy of the facility must take place by September of 2011, according to Federal Law.

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Disclosure: I am vice-chair of the WRA, and played an active role in the efforts to influence the Army's site selection process.