Briefings: Litter, drinking discovered along Rail Trail
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EASTHAMPTON
Terrace View resident David Jaffe was strolling the Manhan Rail Trail recently behind the Eastworks Building when he noticed an opening in the fence.
He walked through and found a short path leading to what appeared to be a fishing hole on the Lower Mill Pond. There were beer cans everywhere.
"I know from previous walks along the trail that the clearing is a gathering place for fishing and drinking (not necessarily in that order)," Jaffe wrote in a July 18 email to Police Chief Bruce McMahon, the Manhan Rail Trail Committee, Mayor Michael A. Tautznik and the Gazette. "I am concerned about this activity and the potential threat it may pose both to public safety and the ecology of the site."
Jaffe wrote that he feels the activity at the site "denigrates" the trail experience for others.
McMahon responded two days later that the police department is aware of the fishing hole and other similar sites around the city and that police will continue to monitor them.
"With the advent of the rail trail, places like this have become more accessible," McMahon wrote. "The department is well aware of many of the hang out' spots, some used for legitimate activity such as fishing and some used for not-so-legitimate activities."
Solar power project
Mayor Michael A. Tautznik has not yet selected a contractor to install solar panels on city property. The panels could generate more than two megawatts of electricity annually.
Tautznik said late last week that he is in discussions with the two firms that bid on the project last month: Lowell-based Borrego Solar and Boston-based Alteris Renewables.
Tautznik said he hopes to reach a decision in the next several weeks. Clearer estimates on what the project might save the city in electricity costs will be available once the contractor is chosen, he said.
Tautznik hopes to put solar panels on the closed Oliver Street landfill, on a former sludge dump at the Wastewater Treatment Plant off of Ferry Street and on several city-owned buildings.
The City Council voted unanimously in December to approve a solar energy zoning overlay district that blankets the city, with the exception of the Loudville Road landfill. Neighbors abutting the Loudville Road landfill expressed concerns about potential health hazards and quality of life should the city install panels there.
The district lays out rules and permitting guidelines for siting solar facilities.
The city will still need to jump a number of regulatory hurdles before the panels could be installed. The contractor will need a special permit from the city's Planning Board. The city will need to work with the Western Mass Electric Company to upgrade electrical service on Oliver Street and to get a "net-metering" agreement in place. Net metering allows the city to sell electricity back to the power company at retail rates.
Matt Pilon can be reached at mpilon@gazettenet.com.
