Anna E. Barry School may be forced to relocate due to site issues
The original plan to build the new school just feet behind the current Barry location has been met with two problems: soil and Article 97.
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A recent study of Garrity Grove found that the wetland soil would impact the structural integrity of the new building. The other problem with this site is Article 97, which protects the parkland area under Massachusetts State Law.
22News spoke with Chicopee Mayor John Vieau about what options the city is considering.
'There were some real obstacles in trying to use this site,' Vieau said. 'It's not been completely determined that we're moving to other options. We're looking at potentially relocating to Szetela School, as that site has a lot of extra land behind the building, and also looking at another location off of Robbins Road.'The Szetela Early Childhood School on Macek Drive could provide an alternative that wouldn't require redistricting. The Barry School Building Commission is currently assessing the viability of Szetela and they don't expect any delays.
Information meetings regarding this potential relocation are held at Chicopee City Hall on the second Thursday of every month.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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