WESTFIELD — City officials hope changes to the parking lots at Westfield Middle School will solve its “significant traffic problem,” and that state money can pay for most of the cost.
City Engineer Alison McMordie and middle school Principal Jesse McMillan presented their plan to the Westfield School Committee on March 4. It results in a net addition of 12 spaces across the school’s two parking lots, as well as several safety features and a “bioretention” basin to divert stormwater from drains that carry runoff pollution to streams and rivers.
Because of the positive impact on rivers and the middle school’s location in an environmental justice neighborhood, and because it is based on a previous proposal that included a partnership with a student from Westfield State University, McMordie said the $635,000 project ticks several boxes and has a good chance of qualifying for a state grant.
