WORCESTER—After several weeks without a meeting, the Worcester City Council reconvenes with a full agenda that addresses WPI’s plans to use city hotels as dormitories, ongoing traffic safety concerns, and an in-depth analysis of public parking in the city.
One of the most anticipated topics is the recent news that Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) plans to purchase and convert two city hotels—the Hampton Inn & Suites on Prescott Street and the Courtyard Marriott on Grove Street—into student dormitories.
This proposal raised concerns about the impact on city tax rolls and local tourism, prompting several councilors to request detailed reports from the city manager on how these purchases could affect the city’s finances and any existing agreements with the hotels involved in the Gateway Park project. The council also revisits a previous request for a report on properties purchased by colleges since 2019 and how these transactions have impacted the city’s tax revenue.
A focus on traffic safety involves the council considering a declaration of a public health and safety emergency due to the alarming number of pedestrian and cyclist accidents in the city this year.
Councilors are pushing for the expedited adoption of a citywide 25-mile-per-hour speed limit, the creation of 20-mph Safety Zones, and the inclusion of traffic calming measures in all city roadway projects. Councilors press that these actions are seen as vital steps in the city’s ongoing efforts to eliminate traffic-related injuries and fatalities under the Vision Zero initiative.
Two reports recently released from the Worcester Regional Research Bureau (WRRB) presented to council give a comprehensive overview of how the city uses public parking and historical trends associated with it. The reports also offer recommendations for the future, including potential changes to parking requirements for new developments.
Other Items on the city council agenda Tuesday:
- Pedestrian safety: Chairman Khrystian King asks for an update on efforts to reduce pedestrian crashes, including the feasibility of installing HAWK signals, flashing beacons, enhanced lighting, and improved crosswalks citywide. He also requests a pilot program for these safety measures in each city district.
- Recognizing heroes: King requests the city manager identify and recognize individuals who helped a Worcester Police Officer pinned between vehicles during an emergency.
- Public safety staffing: Councilor Kate Toomey asks for a report on potential retirements in the fire and police departments over the next two years. She seeks detailed staffing information, including current vacancies, and efforts to recruit more diverse applicants.
- Trash pickup issues: Councilor George Russell urges the city manager to stop rejecting overweight trash bags and leaving them on the street. According to Russell, “By leaving the sometimes stinky, full bags on the street and not picking them up, the city is not helping its neighborhoods’ quality of life.”
- Rodent control: The city manager is asked to develop a Worcester Rodent Action Plan (WRAP), similar to Boston’s, to address the city’s rodent issues and improve residents’ quality of life.
- Elm park restoration: Councilor Morris Bergman requests an update on the ongoing restoration of Elm Park, including water table repairs and weed removal.
Worcester City Council meets on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at City Hall in the Esther Howland (south) Chamber at 6:30 p.m.
Charlene Arsenault can be reached at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
