HATFIELD — Hatfield’s fire chief is calling on residents to learn more about the possible fire training facility that could be constructed in West Hatfield off Route 5 before they seek to stop it.
At the Select Board meeting Tuesday, residents, as they had in June, again brought forward concerns with the idea of the Hatfield Fire Department and the Hatfield Fire Fighters Association using an open field near the town well to put up a building where firefighters would practice search-and-rescue skills and possibly extinguish active fires.
Fire Chief Robert Flaherty told the board that with a petition circulating among residents worried about the concept first presented in April, he would instead prefer people reach out to him to learn more about the plans.
“We’re kind of getting shot down before we even get to make a proposal about what it’s going to be and what we’re going to be doing,” Flaherty said.
The Select Board took public comment, but has yet to schedule a public forum on the training facility.
During the initial presentation, firefighters said they could use a 1.3-acre portion of the field that serves as a protective buffer for the town well. Under that concept, the building would be put in an area outside the well’s restricted area, the town would sell the land needed to the Fire Fighters Association, and then the land and building would eventually be turned back to the town.
“This is totally in the planning stages,” said Select Board member Brian Moriarty. “There is nothing moving forward yet at this time.”
Theresa and Jeffrey Barthelette of 53 West St. elaborated on concerns they first brought to the board in June, this time referencing the possibility of the site producing “firewater” that would include toxins that might contaminate the Running Gutter Brook.
Flaherty, though, said the facility would not produce anything classified as firewater and that operations would have to be approved by the state to make sure they are safe.
Still, the Barthelettes asked to be apprised of the plans and the opportunity to comment during a forum.
Chairwoman Diana Szynal said this would happen. “This will be an agenda item at some point,” Szynal said.
The Select Board is also discussing forming a working committee that would study operations of the fire and emergency medical services in town.
In other business, Black Birch Vineyard at 108 Straits Road is receiving an amended license from the Select Board allowing it to bring in visitors for music, both indoors and outdoors, seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The board’s 3-0 decision follows Planning Board revisions to the vineyard’s site plans made in February.
Moriarty said Black Birch has been a great addition to town, and Szynal said she has no worries about its operations. “Thank you for doing what you’re doing in town,” Szynal said.
Select Board members also heard from Amy Hahn, chairwoman of the town’s Historical Commission, about the continued worries about the artifacts in the Historical Museum’s collection that, since the summer of 2019, have been stored at Benson’s Self Storage and the Five College Annex.
It remains uncertain whether these will be able to return to Town Hall, where they were moved to make way for a renovation and accessibility project. Hahn said there are worries about possible damage from insects and rodents while stored off site.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
