Development and Governmental Relations Committee Meeting August 4, 2025
Published July 14, 2025, 12:09 p.m.
City Council
Holyoke Massachusetts
Pursuant to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25,
and Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2025,
notice is hereby given of a meeting of the committee on
Development and Governmental Relations (DGR)
Monday, August 4, 2025
6:30 PM
Meeting to take place at
Holyoke City Hall, 536 Dwight St
and can be accessed remotely on Zoom Meetings
Per order of the Chair: Kocayne Givner
Remote access via www.zoom.us
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87556152100?pwd=MJkbA42v26iYQcPPf4fZDvAPDVEwNL.1
Meeting ID: 875 5615 2100 Meeting Passcode: 333169 or by call in at 1 (646) 558-8656 with
the same Meeting ID and Passcode.
Live Spanish interpretation will be available on local access channel 15 using the television’s SAP option, through the live stream on the city website, as well as on the Zoom feed by clicking the interpretation option and choosing Spanish.
Agenda
Item 1: PUBLIC HEARING 1-21-25 Special Permit Application of Alan Fini for the creation of a Fini family cemetery at 2 Fini Road (179-00-003) per 9.3.
*Continued from 3-11-25, 4-8-25, 6-2-25
Item 2: PUBLIC HEARING 6-17-25 Special Permit Application for Home Occupation of Robert Rose at 414 Hillside Ave Suite 167 (124-00-108) for a custom fabrication shop per sec 4.8.2.
Item 3: PUBLIC HEARING 6-17-25 Special Permit Application for Home Occupation of Ella Sussman and Tyrone Obanner at 1-9 Martin Street (122-00-018) for a psychotherapy/psychiatric outpatient mental health practice per sec 4.8.2.
Item 4: PUBLIC HEARING 11-19-24 Special Permit Application of LN Berneche, Inc for a motor vehicle repair garage in the IG zone at 37 Appleton Street (036-01-002) per sec 7.2.13 (a).
Item 5: 5-6-25 From Adam Mulcahy and Christina Guesk-Notification of Intent to sell under MGL
*Tabled 6-2-25
Item 6: 6-17-25 From Kestrel Land Trust, letter regarding right of first refusal for Mountain Road parcel under Chapter 61A
Item 7: 2-4-25 Jourdain, Vacon – Ordered, that the City Clerk meet with the City Council to discuss the potential streamlining of poll locations in Wards 1, 2 and 5 as we have already done in Wards 3, 4, 6 and 7. All of these other Wards seem to function fine with one polling location and it would be a potential cost savings and less administrative burden to use the one location per ward method.
*Referred back 6-3-25
Item 8: 3-4-25 Givner- In an effort to promote efficiency while upholding quality of life standards, Order that the City Council invite department heads involved with permitting in to review special permit processes. Incomplete applications regularly come before DGR. The current process is incredibly inefficient wasting 8-10 hours, per applicant, in efforts from the Clerk’s office, the Planning department, the Planning Board, building department, as well as City council and subcommittees. Our permitting Ordinance should be reviewed and updated if needed.
LAID ON THE TABLE
(Items taken up at previous meeting(s) and laid on the table. Discussion may or may not take place)
Item 9: 12-17-24 – Ocasio- Order that the City change the use of the lot at the corner of Adam and South Summer from being a 24hr parking to a Residential Parking from 5pm to 7am. Morgan School Staff Parking from 7am- 5pm.
*Tabled 6-2-25
Item 10: 6-4-24 Bartley, Sullivan- The conservation commissioner be invited to attend a future DGR meeting to provide an update on the construction in and around Scott’s Tower. Please be prepared to address the issue of water run-off to the pond owned by the abutter at 5 and 15 Lindor Heights. Refer to DGR and Conservation Commission.
*Tabled 6-6-24, 9-30-24, 10-28-24, 12-10-24, 2-10-25, 3-11-25
Item 11: 4-16-24 BARTLEY – OPED please provide status on 245 High Street. Building sits across High St from City Hall and the windows are boarded with plywood. Minutes from DGR meeting are attached as a communication. Refer to OPED, Mayor and Law Dept.
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 12: 12-19-23 From Aaron Vega, Director of Office of Planning & Economic Development, communication regarding amendment to special tax assessment agreement with Jackson Canal, LLC.
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 13: 11-21-23 From Office of Planning & Economic Development, Grant Completion Form for FY23 Urban Agenda Grant Program
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 14: 12-6-22 BARTLEY, PUELLO – (copy) Ordered, The Mayor and community development dept fund the following project with either CDBG or ARPA funds: Replace the asphalt double-sidewalk located on the west side of S. Elm St. between Wolcott and Congress Streets and replace with a tree belt and install plantings.
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 15: 8-2-22 From Aaron Vega, Director of Office of Planning & Economic Development, communication regarding Economic Development Incentive & Housing Development Incentive Report
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 16: 5-3-22 MURPHY-ROMBOLETTI – Ordered, That the Committee on Development & Government Relations be provided a list of all special permits issued by the Council. Please include a 5 year look-back on how many permits have been issued, and a rough estimate of the total amount of staff time required to review and process these permits. Refer to the City Clerk, OPED, the Council’s Administrative Assistant and Law Department.
*Tabled 8-5-24
ADMINISTRATIVELY LAID ON THE TABLE
(Per City Council Rule 9P, “Any order not acted on within 45 business days shall be deemed tabled.” Items within this section are laid on the table by virtue of being in the committee more than 45 days. Discussion of these items is unlikely, but any item may be removed from the table upon motion of the committee.)
Item 17: 3-18-25 Givner-Per business owner request, order that a 10am-6pm loading zone, with signage, be created at 414 High St
Item 18: 3-4-25 From Assistant City Solicitor Jane Mantolesky- Notice of Sale – 285 Main
Item 19: 11-19-24 From Atty Tyler Ingraham, letter requesting enforcement of ordinances at 224 Westfield Rd
Item 20: 10-1-24 Bartley-The city of Holyoke work with OCR to allow the state access to city property to plant trees at the top of the 391 interchange. Receive and refer to DGR.
Item 21: 8-6-24 BARTLEY – With the washout of the water/sewer line at S. Elm St. (behind Fitzpatrick Skating Rink), the impact on the neighborhood needs to be addressed by the City leaders in terms of the timeline for repairs, alternate means for walkers to navigate this area and overall appearance. This is a constituent request. Refer to DGR, Parks Dept.
Item 22: 8-6-24 BARTLEY, OCASIO – ordered that OPED provide an update to city council regarding putting the following W-3 and W-2 properties on the market – they’ve each been sitting dormant for well over one year without any progress or updates:
1. 432 Hillside Ave.
2. 146 Brown Ave. and environs.
3. Lots at St. Vicent St. and Ingleside Ave.
Please send a communication for the first city council meeting in September 2024. Refer to DGR for follow-up.
Item 23: 6-4-24 I. RIVERA – Order that representatives of the Holyoke Public Schools and STCC (specifically Dean tech) come into DGR and elaborate on the “After Dark” programming that will be soon launching at the Dean Tech school site.
Item 24: 6-4-24 DEVINE – ORDERED that the Mayor consider appointing an Affordable Housing Commission using the guidelines in proposed HOUSE BILL 2747 (An Act granting a local option for a real estate transfer fee to fund affordable housing)
Item 25: 4-16-24 Communication from Councilor Bartley, 9-1-15 DGR meeting minutes excerpt
Item 26: 1-22-24 BARTLEY – Ordered, The DGR chair invite into committee the Governor’s representative for western Mass and Sen Markey’s representative for western Mass. to a future meeting.
Item 27: 11-21-23 BARTLEY, PUELLO – Ordered, The DGR committee meet with city officials responsible for managing our parking enforcement staff. The staff has been repeatedly threatened with physical violence and subject to beratement from the public and have privately paid for body cameras. Send a communication advising the council of policies and procedures to ensure employee safety in advance of the subcommittee meeting.
Item 28: 10-3-23 BARTLEY, MCGIVERIN, PUELLO, I. RIVERA – Ordered, The City Engineer and DPW develop and install safety measures for passenger cars, trucks and motorcycles in the vicinity of Holyoke’s canals as the current protective measures have recently and regularly been breached resulting in loss of life, property damage, and costs to HG&E. Refer to DPW, City Engineer, HG&E Manager & Commissioners, and Emergency Management Director to strategize improvements and the Mayor to finance these projects. Refer to DGR for discussion.
Item 29: 12-20-22 I. RIVERA – Order that the honorable city council invite representatives of Holyoke Community College, Westfield State University and the Five Colleges to discuss ways they could better support a path for Holyoke youth to gain equitable access within these schools.
Administrative Assistant: Jeffery Anderson-Burgos
The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law. Agenda subject to change up to two business days (48 hours) prior to posted meeting time.