Committee backs ordinance amendment to let Boys and Girls Club apply for alternative pedestrian safety measures

The Holyoke City Ordinance Committee on Jan. 8, 2025 voted to recommend an amendment to the city ordinance that would create an exemption process allowing organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club to apply for alternative pedestrian-safety measures where standard petition thresholds cannot be met.

Council President Trisha Murphy Ramboletti explained the Boys and Girls Club uses the crosswalk on Nick Cosmo Way to access its playground and reported frequent speeding and drivers not observing the marked crosswalk. The city engineer advised the street does not meet the technical criteria for a speed hump or raised crosswalk; the engineer suggested a rectangular rapid-flashing beacon as an alternative but estimated the device could cost about $45,000.

Attorney Bissonnette explained the draft ordinance before the committee creates an exemption pathway for sites that cannot assemble the typical 300-residence petition required under the current ordinance; once the ordinance amendment is in place an applicant may file for the exemption and the city engineer would assess feasible alternatives. Committee members discussed seeking the best engineering solution and whether regional shared services could provide the hearings officer role in other items of city business.

After debate about procedure and the content of the draft, the committee voted to forward the ordinance amendment to the full City Council for consideration so that the Boys and Girls Club and similar entities may apply under the exemption. The vote was by voice; the committee did not adopt a particular engineering alternative at this meeting and directed staff to continue engineering review and outreach to the club.