Forest Park Civic Association
P.O. Box 80841
Springfield, MA 01138-0841

Mr. Patrick Sullivan, Parks Superintendent
200 Trafton Road
Springfield, MA 01108

Dear Mr. Patrick Sullivan:

Regarding renewal of the Bright Nights contract:

The board of the Forest Park Civic Association, at its January meeting, voted to request that public hearings be held on renewal of the contract with The Spirit of Springfield for Bright Nights. Residents and business owners must have an opportunity to tell you about the problems that Brights Nights causes in our neighborhood. These hearings should be well publicized and held in the neighborhood at a time when working people can easily attend them.

Some of the problems that need to be discussed include:

• the length of the event, as in the number of days it may be allowed to run
• the period of time the Bright Nights structures may remain in the park
• the use of Barney Hill, a natural sledding area, for Bright Nights
• the environmental impact of the structures and the traffic
• the use of a public park for a commercial venture complete with billboards
• traffic related issues
  

We understand that the Forest Park neighborhood provides a lovely gateway for Bright Nights, a showcase for Springfield. We are pleased that you appreciate our beautiful neighborhood. This event generates a great deal of good publicity for Springfield, but this exploitation of our neighborhood brings with it a set of problems that we have to live with every day. This exploitation of the Forest Park neighborhood brings with it an obligation, on your part, to work these problems out with us.

We thank you for quickly taking down the "virtual kids" on Barney Hill as well as the commercial bill boards, as soon as the Bright Nights run was over. We thank you for trying to deal with the traffic problems caused by Bright Nights in our residential neighborhood, but more needs to be done.

Before renewing the contract with Bright Nights, the City needs to sit down with neighborhood residents, especially those in the sections of Longhill Street and Sumner Avenue that are directly affected by Bright Nights traffic, to discuss the problems and possible solutions.

The Forest Park Civic Association asks that we be informed of and included in all deliberations that are held on this issue. There should be the same type of public discussion and decision making that goes into zone changes and special permits, because the effects of Bright Nights on the neighborhood are similar to those of a non-residential use in a residential neighborhood.

This is not a discussion of tree planting or tennis court usage that affects only a few people. The impact that Bright Nights has our neighborhood is major and any decision on renewal of the contract with The Spirit of Springfield for Bright Nights must include the neighborhood businesses and residents.

Sincerely,

Belle-Rita Novak
President