Holyoke, Mass

April 14, 1913

Hadley Mill Lot Now Opposed

Citizens Who Clamored for That Location Now Fear Trolley Barns May be Built Across River.

The dispute on at present in ward 1 as to whether it is necessary for Holyoke to take the Hadley mill lot for a park and playground is assuming heat and it looks as if it might give way to a warfare in the ward. A large number in the ward wish a playground and have signed a petition to that effect. Others there are willing that a playground be established, but think that another tract can be secured without interfering with the purpose of the street railway company to erect their new car barns on the Hadley lot.

The whole project has been an interesting one to follow. The ward 1 residents saw a chance to obtain an additional playground and their claim was that the taking over of the Hadley lot would not provide a breathing place for a congested district but would also greatly improve the appearance of the entrance to Holyoke from South Hadley, the lot at the present time presenting a rather unsavory appearance. In this effort they were undoubtedly helped to a degree by real estate promoters who reasoned that with the Hadley lot out of the way there was a chance to make a sale to the street railway company of property adjoining. Petitions for the purchase of the lot were presented to the mayor who had figured that $50,000 might be recommended for its purchase.

Recently when it became practically certain that the street railway would not purchase property in ward 2 for car barns in the event of the Hadley lot being taken over, there has been a change noted in the feeling of some of the residents of the ward, especially among the employees of the street railway company, many of whom reside in that district, and who fear that the company may go across the river for a site where one could be purchased at a considerable less expense than would be the case in Holyoke and another petition has been circulated against the purchasing of this lot and has been presented to the mayor, the petitioners not being against the playground but believe that another tract can be purchased for less money and the Hadley lot left for the use of the street railway.

The argument for the project is that the ward is a congested one with many apartment blocks, the tenant of which have no breathing place near at hand. With this, as stated before, is the argument that the establishing of a park and playground would greatly improve the appearance of that section of the city, especially as it faces the South Hadley entrance.

Against the project is the fact that ward 1 has already a large playground within 10 minute’s walk of any part of the ward and also had at the present time a small ark. Again it seems practically certain that $50,000 could not buy the Hadley lot from the street railway company of that the lot would be handed over to the city for that sum if taken to the courts. It is also stated that another tract in the ward could be secured for a considerably smaller sum. Again if the street railway company should go out of Holyoke to secure land for a car barn, that city would not only lose a certain amount in taxes, but would also lose a number of residents, as the street railway men would be apt in many cases to change residence, this being especially the case among the night men. Taken altogether the mayor has a hard problem to solve as pressure is being brought to bear on all side.

From The Springfield Republican.