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Date: 2/14/2023
BELCHERTOWN – The Select Board voted to allow the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) to submit a proposed Community Development Block Grant application that will not exceed $1.35 million to assist with the water and septic improvements at the Sports Haven Mobile Home Park.
Sports Haven Mobile Home Park is located at 370 Mill Valley Rd.
Erica Johnson from the PVPC met with the Select Board at its Feb. 6 meeting to discuss the grant application.
“I am cautiously optimistic that this amount will take care of the water and the septic,” Johnson added.
There have been problems with the water in terms of contamination at the Sports Haven Mobile Park for a long time according to Johnson and Brougham and the town identified that there is a need for a new well location.
Johnson said, “[Town Administrator] Gary Brougham will tell you he has been working on this project for over 20 years and he may be correct.”
She added, “I have been working alongside Gary Brougham for many years now in relation to the Sports Haven Mobile Home Park community and their trouble with water and septic. The town has received funding which has enabled design plans to be created to improve the water system and septic system.”
In the last three years, Belchertown and the Sports Haven Mobile Home Park was awarded two separate grants to support infrastructure projects that will improve the quality of their drinking water. The funding, awarded through the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) Small and Disadvantaged Community Grant program.
In January 2021, Belchertown was awarded $58,745 to support the design and installation of interim chlorine disinfection.
In January 2023, Belchertown was awarded a $200,000. The project involved the installation of a water storage tank, emergency generator and pump house.
Phase one of the project is complete which was determining a new well location and digging a new test well to make sure the water and pressure was good.
The plans are completed and phase one has begun but Johnson added, “We need more money. The original grant from 2018 doesn’t go quite as far now as it did then.”
The funds so far have been used for determining a new location and drilling the new well according to Johnson and the new grant will be used to finish up the distribution system for the water.
“We have enough money to do the well and get the pump in place, but we also need to be able to get the water to the people. We will be requesting additional funds from the state to get the water to the people and hopefully finish up the septic work as well,” Johnson added.
Brougham said, “The well is great, the new pump is going to be great but without the delivery sytems we will not be able to solve the problems.”
Right now, there are some individual septic systems for the units and some are shared septic units but when the project is finished, there is going to one large system for the whole park.
The application is due March 3 and Johnson hopes to hear back around June whether the application has been accepted or not.
Johnson said, “We need to get the residents over to the new water system as quickly as possible. We are certainly working towards that. It is important to get it right the first time to make sure there are no problems along the way.”
The Select Board will meet again on Feb. 21 to host a public forum for the all-alcohol license and meet with department heads to discuss and allocate American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for their requested projects.