WESTFIELD — In a 10-3 vote, the City Council last week rejected a proposal to use Community Preservation Act funds to build a playground at the new elementary school being built on Franklin Street.
The Community Preservation Commission voted in favor of funding the project at its meeting on Oct. 12. At that meeting, city Procurement Officer Tammy Tefft, who chairs the School Building Committee, said that the vision for the new school, which will serve the students who currently attend Franklin Avenue and Abner Gibbs elementary schools, was for it to be a community gathering place. She said in addition to playgrounds, there would be an amphitheater, basketball courts and softball fields.
At the City Council meeting on Dec. 21, Councilor Bridget Matthews-Kane said the Finance Committee, which she chairs, had voted 2-1 to approve the plan. She said the $61.2 million bond for the school had initially included the playground areas. When construction bids came back higher than expected, however, the project had to find $2 million in cuts. Building the playscape with other funds would allow the city to restore funding for furniture purchases.
