Municipal Park neighbors express their concerns to Parks & Rec.

WESTFIELD — At the urging of Ward 3 Councilor Bridget Matthews-Kane, neighbors of the Municipal Park came to the Parks & Recreation Commission meeting on Aug. 11 to share their concerns about the noise, lights, hours and vehicle activity at the park, which they said are causing a disturbance.

Commission Chair Scott LaBombard invited Matthews-Kane to speak first on the agenda item. She said the concerns were brought to her attention when she invited people abutting the neighborhood of the Westfield River Elementary School to a ward meeting.

"When I got to the neighborhood around the Municipal Park, they had things to say. I'm glad I live in a community like Westfield [where people] care about the neighborhood," Matthews-Kane said. She said several neighbors also said the police don't respond when they call.

LaBombard said he was looking forward to hearing from all of the residents, adding that he had received an email with pictures of the lights at night.

"It lights up our whole second floor," said abutter David Pawlisher, who lives on Greylock Street, where he said cars race 50 mph to the pickleball courts, park on Greylock Street instead of in the parking lot, and cut him off at his driveway without courtesy. He said there is trash and broken glass at the park, and the lights light up his kitchen until 11 to 12 at night.

"The whole area, it's a nightmare, and the last 10 years, it's progressively getting worse," Pawlisher said, adding that he has lived there for 50 years. He said he is concerned about the safety of the children in the neighborhood.

Joan Welch of Hubbard Street, who lives across from the splash park, said one Saturday the park was overrun with people and her house was filled with smoke from a grill that had been brought in. She said she called and asked the police if that was legal. They told her they would drive by, but she said they didn't drive up the street. "If anybody cared at all, there would be a sign there, no fires," she said, adding that fireworks were also set off in the park.

She also talked about kids climbing on the gazebo and pulling over tables and trash cans to get up there, although she said that behavior has been better this year. "I called constantly. The kids there are going to get hurt," she said, adding that once, a child came to her door looking for first aid.

Welch said the city cut down all the trees around the Municipal Park which provided a buffer to the neighborhood, and asked the commission if they were going to replant the trees. She also asked that the police have more of a presence, even just to play basketball with the kids. "It's not all about enforcement," she said.

Rob Popko, another Greylock Street resident, said the trash is a problem with barrels overflowing and trash left in the parking lot. "I've been over there quite a few times picking it up," he said. He also talked about the loud mini bikes that drive down Smith Avenue and cut across to Greylock Street.

Popko said after 10 p.m., children drag race down Greylock Street, starting at the machine shop and going 0-60 mph. "Somebody's going to get killed driving fast through a full parking lot," he said.

Another resident said they attempted to speak to the chief of police but were referred to a police captain, who they asked about speed bumps. They also spoke to the principal of Westfield Technical Academy and the mayor, telling him that it takes police 20 minutes to send a cruiser.

Another resident said a picnic table was recently burned in the park at around midnight, an incident which LaBombard said nobody had notified them about.

Ellen Weatherwax of Franklin Street said at her residence, they have to deal with the "hell of Franklin Street, the hell of Hubbard Street, and the hell of the park and the cops." She said during the night of graduation, her driveway was blocked, even though there is a sign at the corner of the driveway stating no parking, and she called 911. "I should be able to get in and out," she said.

Weatherwax also talked about the behavior at the park. "There should be cameras there to protect the city's liability," she said, calling it "total chaos" and "party central."

"There's got to be respect for the homeowners paying these taxes," she said.

John Weatherwax broke down the issues and offered some solutions. He said the noise is a serious issue, adding that noise levels are supposed to be 55 decibels or less. "This is louder," he said.

He said the pickleball leagues start early in the morning and go late, and the floodlights point directly at his house past 10 p.m., calling it a quality of life issue. "Better for everybody that the lights are out at 9 p.m.," Weatherwax said, adding that he gets up at 5 a.m. and goes to bed at 8 to 9 p.m. He said he has no problem with the pickleball courts, but doesn't find it allowable at 10:45 to 11 p.m. "Turn [the lights] off earlier," he said.

Another suggestion he made was speed bumps on Hubbard and Greylock streets, and enforcement of no parking on the street.

Weatherwax said it stood out to him that the community policing wasn't able to come to the meeting. "It would be nice to have enforcement," he said.

William Schneeloch of Duane Street, who said he gets a lot of walking traffic cutting over from Smith Avenue, agreed with most of the comments, specifically citing glass and broken bottles. He said he was also afraid something was going to happen. He said there are signs at WTA that cameras are there, but everybody knows they're not.

After a few more comments, LaBombard thanked everyone for coming. "This is not falling on deaf ears. There is only so much we can do as Parks & Recreation. What we can do is signage," he said, adding that the commission has talked about putting cameras in the parks before, and said trash is certainly within their circle of influence.

"The long and short of it is, there are some things we can do. I'm certainly on your side as far as policing," he said.

Commissioner Michael Tirrell said they can address signage, cameras, trash remaining and cleanup and lights. "Those are the main issues under Parks & Recreation, and talking to the police," he said, adding, "We have vandalism to some extent in every park."

Tirrell, who also serves on the School Committee, said from a school standpoint, they can look into plowing, parking and speeding, and paying special attention during graduation. "We started shuttling people up to graduation, but clearly it was not good enough yet."

Tirrell said going forward two years from now, graduation will likely be at the new athletic stadium, although he said he was making an assumption. "We will follow up," he said.

Commissioner Kenneth Magarian questioned when the lights go out, and said some of the problems occur during the winter. He said the commission could consider taking down the basketball nets after Dec. 15, depending on the weather.

"We can certainly request formally and have councilors assist us in recommending speed bumps on Hubbard and Greylock [streets]," Magarian added.

"Thank you for being willing to listen. It would be helpful if the board backs me up if I go to the police," Matthews-Kane said, adding that Westfield does not normally like speed bumps.

Pickleball player Patricia Daviau, who was at the meeting for another item, said the behavior described is not the "average pickleball player."

"I play down there five days a week. Everyone is respectful, and cleans up after themselves," Daviau said, adding that she only plays during the day "I, myself, and the people I play with always leave the place spic and span."

Also present at the meeting and hearing the concerns of the neighbors were new Public Works Director Randal Brown and Parks & Recreation Deputy Superintendent Scott Hathaway.

Read the original article on MassLive .