Holyoke City Council approves donation certificates, advances eminent-domain takings for Cabot and Ray streets

The Holyoke City Council approved authorizing the mayor to sign donation certificates and moved forward an amended order of taking to acquire easements for resurfacing work on Cabot Street and Ray Street, with a proposed payment of $58,200 from Chapter 90 funds.

The amendment to the order of taking reduced the number of permanent easements to seven and temporary easements to 50, and removed a previously proposed permanent utility easement. Councilor Givner moved the amendment, which passed in a roll-call vote; Councilors Sullivan, Devine and Givner voted yes. The council referred the item to the finance committee under section 78-83 of the City of Holyoke Code of Ordinances and scheduled final action for the next regular meeting on June 3, 2025.

City staff said the change in totals reflects a slight reduction in the project limits. "The only change is that the project limits needed to be or were able to be cut back a tiny bit, and that meant not taking an easement and that makes up the difference. So the total of what we need to get is that 58,200," said Victoria, a city staff member.

Separately, the council voted to "authorize the mayor to sign the donation certificates"; that motion passed with yes votes recorded for Councilors Sullivan, Devine and Givner. An attorney present for questions, identified in the meeting as Mantoleski (name spelled variously in the transcript), said he was available for questions but had none at the time.

Under the amended order, the easements are described as permanent and temporary rights necessary "for the construction and maintenance of roadway and related improvements for the resurfacing and related work on Cabot Street and Ray Street, city center, state project 609065, from certain owners of record of land abutting the project in the City of Holyoke." The proposed $58,200 payment for damages is to be paid using Chapter 90 funds. The council’s referral to the finance committee was made in accordance with City of Holyoke Code of Ordinances section 78-83, allowing that committee to review and recommend final action at the June 3, 2025 meeting.

Councilors recorded their votes on the two items during the meeting. For both the donation-certificate authorization and the amended order of taking, the recorded yes votes were Councilor Sullivan, Councilor Devine and Councilor Givner. No no votes, abstentions, or recusals were recorded in the excerpt of the meeting transcript provided.

The council’s action advances the project to the finance committee and toward a formal vote at the next regular meeting, where the council may vote to approve the finalized order of taking and associated payments.