MAYOR'S UPDATE:
WEEK ENDING MAY 13

Thanks to everyone who attended Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting as we celebrated the retirement of Town Clerk Tara Rowley and welcomed incoming clerk Maureen Lawshe. Congrats to both! Thanks also to the residents who attended to provide comments on the proposed redevelopment at Prospect/Ferris. As a reminder, we have posted additional information about the project on our website, which includes the following:

• A memo from WSP and Stonefield responding to some of the specific resident questions about the Traffic Impact Study
• A detailed FAQ about the redevelopment process to date and this project’s benefits and evolution, as well as comparative data with nearby properties on setbacks, density, parking allotments, and coverage ratios
• New renderings of the proposed project that provide more detail and also reflect the changes made by the developer in response to residents’ feedback, and to ensure the building is more reflective of the neighborhood 

I encourage you to take the time to read the materials in full to understand the facts and how the benefits of this project – including driving foot traffic to our downtown, historic preservation of one of Westfield’s oldest remaining homes, and prioritizing sustainability in new development – advance the goals of the Master Plan.

As I said at the meeting, this Council has been very clear in our intention to follow the guidance and outcome of the Master Plan, which was created with significant public input and unanimously supported by the Planning Board and the Town Council. Our commitment to our priorities has not changed and, although there may not always be complete agreement on specific buildings and plans, we are grateful for the ongoing input we have received as we continue to utilize the vast expertise of our Town professionals to respond to these concerns. We will continue to keep you apprised of any additional information prior to the vote on the Redevelopment Agreement, which has not yet been scheduled. 

On a separate note, I’d like to acknowledge National Police Week, which begins this Sunday, and is a collaborative effort of many organizations dedicated to honoring America’s law enforcement community. We are incredibly fortunate to have the dedicated professionals of the Westfield Police Department, one of just 4% of accredited law enforcement agencies in the country. We are grateful every day for the work they do to protect our community.

Hope to see you at the walk in Mindowaskin Park at 10:30 on Sunday in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. Wishing you all a great weekend!  

MEET THE NEW TOWN CLERK

MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

Don’t miss the Mental Health Fair activities this Sunday in recognition of National Mental Health Awareness Month. The day begins with a Walk for CAKE in Mindowaskin Park from 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, where participants can enjoy a walk in the park featuring stations that highlight aspects of wellness such as yoga, music, art, meditation, and pet therapy. CAKE is the Mental Health Council’s ongoing initiative emphasizing  compassion, acceptance, kindness and empathy. 

Across the street, at the Bauer Branch of the Westfield Area YMCA, enjoy family-friendly activities, mental health provider resources, and presentations from 11:45AM - 1:45PM. Thanks to the Westfield Mental Health Council for organizing this event, and for their ongoing efforts to raise awareness about mental health resources for members of the community. For more details, visit westfieldnj.gov/mentalhealth.

TENNIS COURT RESERVATIONS

With the increase in the popularity of pickleball play and the already popular tennis matches, the Westfield Recreation Commission will be offering the opportunity for tennis and pickleball players to reserve court time at both the Memorial and Tamaques Tennis & Pickleball Courts, beginning Monday, May 23. Please note that all the courts are lined for both tennis and pickleball.

The Commission will be setting aside two courts at each site to be reserved to help residents secure preferred playing time slots of 90 minutes. The courts at Memorial are available for play from 8:00 AM until dusk, and the Tamaques courts are available from 8:00 AM - 9:30 PM in the summer (9:00 PM for the remainder of the year). The light schedule is subject to change during the winter season.

Reservations may be secured on the Westfield Recreation Department's registration site. Once logged in, click the Court Reservations tab. This is the Recreation Department’s registration site for the pool, playground, and other programs that are offered. If you already have an account, you do not need to create a new account; if you are new to this registration site, you will need to create an account before you can make a reservation.

Court reservations may be made four days in advance for residents, and one day in advance for non-residents for the day you are looking to reserve.  

BRIGHTWOOD PARK IMPROVEMENTS

Thanks to the Friends of Brightwood Park for hosting a breakfast on Tuesday morning to thank members of the Recreation Commission, the Westfield Recreation Department, Public Works, and Town officials for their partnership in bringing so many improvements to the park. I was joined by Councilwoman Emily Root, Councilwoman Linda Habgood, Town Administrator Jim Gildea, Recreation Department Director Don Bogardus, Recreation Commission Chair Jennifer Gilman, and DPW employees Greg O’Neil, Rich Eubanks, Jerry Stabenow, and Matt Eagan to see the improvements first hand. 

If you haven’t been to Brightwood lately, please make sure to drop in and see the amazing improvements these volunteers have initiated – including new stone dust laid in the paths, replaced bubblers in the pond, newly planted demonstration gardens, and literally tons of trash has been hauled away. How gratifying to see what can happen when energized volunteers and the Town work together on a shared vision!

TOUR DE WESTFIELD

Our resident community biking event, Tour de Westfield, is back for its second year! Save the date for Sunday, June 12, from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, for activities that include a three-mile family bike parade led by the Westfield Police Department, a WPD Bike Safety Rodeo, the Tour de Tots for younger children on tricycles, and the Bling Your Bike contest. This year we are featuring a new activity for our more adventurous bikers called the Tour de Tricks, where children nine and older can learn how to jump a curb or see a wheelie demonstration up close. Jay's Cycle will also be on hand to perform safety checks on your bike

Entertainment will be provided by The Spinners, and food for purchase will be available from local businesses. Based on last year’s turnout, we are expecting a great day! Advance registration will be required – look for more information soon from the Recreation Department.

Thanks to the Recreation Commission & Department for organizing this event, in collaboration with the Westfield Police Department, Green Team, Bicycle Advisory Board, BRAKES Coalition, and Downtown Westfield Corporation. 

PROSPECT AND EAST BROAD TRAFFIC PATTERN CHANGE

In case you missed it, the striping and signage were completed this week to implement the new traffic pattern change that now prohibits a left turn from Prospect onto East Broad Street. Additionally, the loading zone on Prospect Street adjacent to Bovella’s has been moved ten feet north to improve the line of sight for cars and pedestrians at the intersection of Prospect and East Broad. And the loading zones in the area (on Elm, Prospect, and East Broad) have shifted their hours of utilization to 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM (previously 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM) to better reflect their actual peak usage times and free up the areas for residential and visitor parking earlier in the evening.

In addition, conversations with Trader Joe’s about parking lot circulation improvements are ongoing, and we are moving forward with our own plans to improve ingress and egress to the adjacent municipal lot. These are long overdue improvements that we are happy to finally be implementing. 

MEET THE CHIEFS WITH LIFELONG WESTFIELD

Calling all seniors! On Monday, May 16, Lifelong Westfield will host “Meet the Chiefs” with Police Chief Battiloro and Fire Chief Duelks at 10:00 AM, where you can ask questions or discuss any concerns you have in a casual environment in the Town Hall Community Room. 

SPOTTED LANTERNFLIES

With the spring weather unfortunately comes the return of the Spotted Lanternfly.  According to the NJ Department of Agriculture, this insect has the potential to greatly impact agricultural crops and hardwood trees, as it feeds on the plant sap of many different plants including grapevines, maples, black walnut, and other important plants in our state. While it does not harm humans or animals, it can be a signifcant nuisance, affecting the quality of life and enjoyment of the outdoors. 

Now is the time to identify and destroy Spotted Lanternfly egg masses, before they begin hatching in the coming weeks. Our DPW Downtown Division is actively working to identify and address any egg masses that they may find over the next few weeks as they set up the outdoor dining areas. This video provides some helpful details so that we can all do our part to help minimize the disruption of these invasive insects this summer.