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Date: 2/15/2023
NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton City Council approved 11 funding requests totaling $1.23 million during their Feb. 2 meeting.
Background
Preservation and Land Use Planner Sarah LaValley explained that the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) reviewed project proposals that were submitted for Commmunity Preservation Act (CPA) funding in fiscal year 2023 back in September 2022.
After extensive review, including site visits, public comment sessions and deliberation, the CPC voted to recommend 11 funding requests totaling just over $1.2 million.
“These projects include all eligible CPA project areas, so historic preservation, recreation, affordable housing, as well as open space preservation,” said LaValley. “The CPA funding that is being recommended will leverage more than $7 million in funding from other sources this round.”
As previously reported by Reminder Publishing, one of the requests asks the council to appropriate the remaining $300,000 from local CPA funding to help finalize permanent protection of open space between Sylvester Road and Spring Street in the Saw Mill Hills.
LaValley also introduced other CPA funds that will cover costs for the Connecticut-River Greenway Multi-Use Trail project, electrical upgrades to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) House on 148 South St., the Downtown Affordable Housing Creation Project, the Leed’s Affordable Housing Creation Project, and exterior structural rehabilitation for the Northampton Community Music Center (NCMC) and Smith Charities Building.
The CPC also requested money for the Rocky Hill Greenway Multi-Use Trail, affordable housing on Burts Pit Road, as well as funds for the city’s Conservation Fund and Affordable Housing Fund.
More information on these projects are explained below.
Connecticut-River Greenway multi-use trail
LaValley told the council that this project will facilitate the design of an accessible multi-use trail connecting Hatfield with the Mass. Central Rail Trail and the Northampton-New Haven Canal Greenway.
“This will provide what will soon be a continuous link from Boston to Northampton and down to New Haven,” said LaValley. “CPA funds will be used as a local match for an already received Mass. Trails Grant.”
The CPC is asking the council to appropriate $40,000 from the CPA Budget Reserve for this project. Mass. Trails provided $238,000 in funding.
Downtown affordable housing creation project
The council also approved a request to appropriate $60,000 for advance designs for climate-resilient housing in a central downtown location.
“At its heart, this is a very small local match for a very large state grant award,” said LaValley. “It will allow for further development and designs for affordable housing on a city-owned parcel on Crafts Avenue.”
The city approved the overall project back in 2021 for 24 units of climate-resilient studio apartments located in the heart of downtown. The city has already received a $921,300 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant for the project.
“The MVP program agreed that this was something really important and gave a pretty substantial grant award,” said LaValley.
Leeds affordable housing creation project
The City Council approved disposition of a property on Evergreen Road for affordable housing purposes back in the summer of 2021.
According to LaValley, the site was originally an 8,000-square-foot property developed in 1914 as a water tower, but since 1999, the property has been undeveloped after the water tower was removed.
The CPC is requesting $25,000 of CPA money so the city can complete due diligence and determine parameters for the site.
“Some additional work is necessary to allow it to be transferred development-ready to an affordable housing partner,” said LaValley. “This recommendation will allow that due diligence work to happen.”
Burts Pit Road affordable housing
Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity submitted an application for CPA funding for the creation of three energy-efficient affordable homes on Burts Pit Road.
When constructed, the homes will be permanently restricted to individuals and families earning 60 percent of the area median income or below.
The CPC unanimously voted to recommend $180,000 to support this project.
Other projects approved included exterior structural rehabilitation to the Smith Charities building and the Northampton Community Music Center. $220,000 was approved for the latter while $183,315 was approved for the former.