Chicopee approves $1.9 million renovation for Sarah Jane Park upgrades and PCB cleanup

Chicopee approves $1.9 million renovation for Sarah Jane Park upgrades and PCB cleanup
 

 

By Jonathan Gerhardson on January 2, 2024

The City of Chicopee has approved a comprehensive renovation plan for Sarah Jane Sherman Park, a central gathering space in the Willimansett neighborhood. The project, unanimously approved by the City Council on December 17, 2024, will address environmental concerns, including PCB contamination, while upgrading the park’s infrastructure and accessibility. The total cost of the project is $1,948,403, with $500,000 coming from a Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities grant provided by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

The renovation will focus on remediating polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in the park’s former wading pool area. PCBs, banned in 1979, are hazardous chemicals linked to cancer and other health risks. Testing revealed PCB concentrations as high as 270,000 mg/kg in caulking and 77,000 mg/kg in paint, significantly exceeding the EPA’s safety threshold of 1 mg/kg. The contamination has spread to the surrounding concrete and soil, requiring the removal of 600 linear feet of caulking, 2,800 square feet of paint, and 275 cubic yards of soil.

The remediation process will follow EPA guidelines, with contaminated materials disposed of as PCB Bulk Product Waste and PCB Remediation Waste. Confirmatory sampling will ensure that remaining materials meet safety standards. This effort is part of a broader city initiative to address PCB contamination in public spaces, following the closure and demolition of three contaminated pools in 2015 and 2022.

It is not clear when the contamination at Sarah Jane was discovered but according to the city's website the park was not open in 2024 "due to construction." Parks Superintendent Benjamin Strepka did not immediately respond to an inquiry sent via email.

In addition to addressing environmental hazards, the renovation will modernize Sarah Jane Sherman Park and improve accessibility. Plans include replacing the deteriorating walking loop with a wider, ADA-compliant path, installing a new universally accessible playground to replace the 25-year-old structure, and renovating three baseball/softball diamonds with improved drainage and bleacher seating. The skatepark will also receive upgrades, and the former wading pool will be replaced with a modern splashpad in partnership with the Department of Community Development.The project is set to begin in July 2025, with construction completed by June 30, 2026. An engineering firm will finalize the design by June 30, 2025, followed by a competitive bidding process. The $1,948,403 budget includes $500,000 from the Pakrland grant, with the remaining funds drawn from the city’s stabilization fund.

Mayor John Vieau emphasized the park’s importance as a community-wide asset, noting that the upgrades align with the city’s Open Space and Recreation Plan. Parks Superintendent Benjamin Strepka highlighted the project’s comprehensive approach.

“When we apply for these grants we take a holistic look at the parks, not just one single area, and here at Sarah Jane Sherman Park we have an opportunity to improve the accessibility throughout the entire park ” Strepka said.

The renovation of Sarah Jane Sherman Park marks a significant step in Chicopee’s ongoing efforts to modernize its public spaces and address environmental hazards, and possibly marks a shift in the city's attitude towards accessibility. In October, the Chicopee Housing Authority agreed to a $450,000 settlement in a lawsuit brought by the United States Department of Justice alleging the Housing Authority and its Director, Monica Blazik, discriminated against tenants on the basis of race and disability status.

Update Jan. 3: A previous version of this article mistakenly included a quote attributed to Benjamin Strepka that was actually the hallucination of a large language model. It has been removed. I regret the error.