Monday, April 19, 2010

Westfield Residents Association Hosts Presentations on Army Base and Boardman Lane Tonight


Diane McCartin, chief planner of the Middletown Armed Forces Reserve Center, will discuss this training facility at the quarterly meeting of the Westfield Residents Association (WRA) TONIGHT. Construction is set to start very soon, at the former Cucia Park in Westfield, the base is expected to be completed in the summer of 2011.

McCartin, with staff from the Corps of Engineers, will present the design of the training facility. The $51.5M facility will be constructed in a joint venture by KBE Building Corporation and Middletown's Derita Construction.

Pedro Wasmer will also discuss the plans of the Boardman Lane ownership group for the 88 acre parcel of land on Boardman Lane that was originally selected by the Army for the training facility. Ironically, the Cucia Park construction has again involved the Boardman Lane parcel, but this time because it contains wetlands that the army wishes to preserve. In order to obtain a 404 wetlands permit for Cucia Park construction, the Corps of Engineers environmental division required McCartin and her team to undertake wetlands mitigation, preferably in the same watershed. The Army plans to permanently protect 52 acres on Boardman Lane for this mitigation.

The WRA quarterly meeting is TODAY, April 19; it starts with a brief business meeting at 7PM, followed by the presentation by Wasmer and McCartin at 7:30. The meeting is held in the 3rd Congregational Church, 94 Miner Street (a few blocks from the Westfield Fire Station on East Street). All members of the public are invited to attend.
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Disclosure: I am vice-chair of the Westfield Residents Association.