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Date: 2/21/2023
WARREN — The Warren Board of Selectmen hosted a public hearing for the fiscal year 2022/2023 (FY22/23) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program funded through the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
Principal Planner Christopher Dunphy with the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission led the conversation.
Dunphy said, “These are funds that start at the federal level but for smaller communities such as Warren, the money goes through the state and communities such as Warren – they call small cities and towns – have to submit competitive applications to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development annually.
This year, Dunphy said there are two specific projects that have been developed with the town of Warrens appointed Community Development Advisory Committee.
He explained that this application was structured to allow up to $1.35 million because the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development — largely due to COVID-19 — has fallen behind in trying to move these funds out to the smaller cities and towns. Dunphy noted that two programs were “sort of consolidated” into one year which is why it is for FY22 and FY23.
Dunphy said the combination is “a great thing” because the extra funding allows them to complete a project instead of adding in another phase.
The Community Development Advisory Committee is chaired by Highway Surveyor Jeremy Olson. Dunphy meets with the committee monthly to discuss priorities along with finding out which projects are eligible for this program.
About 10 years ago, the town did a big study called the “School Street Neighborhood” which evaluated all the infrastructure elements within this neighborhood. The streets include School Street, Quaboag, Prospect, Lombard, Moore, Richardson, Otis and Hillside. Since that original study, year by year, Dunphy said they have been trying to put together projects to address all the identified deficiencies. Lombard and Moore Street were finished a few years ago, Quaboag Street was finished three years ago and now the focus is on School Street and Prospect Street.
“As it turns out, the needs on School Street were particularly high and costs were high, so we had to phase the improvements at School Street over two different fiscal years,” Dunphy shared.
He said there is currently funding in place to address some of the subsurface infrastructure and replace a large retaining wall along the street. Dunphy shared that they have already received bids for it and are ready to move forward with some of the subsurface infrastructure and the large retaining wall. “Now we’re pursuing funding to complete the rest of the street,” said Dunphy. Improvements to the stormwater draining, sidewalk and road are necessary.
The second request is a proposed design project for the town common.
The project was spearheaded by Olson and other members of the advisory committee.
Olson shared, “This is something I felt was missing in our community — that central heart — that place where we can all go together and hold events and what not.”
Unfortunately, Olson said the common has “lacked luster in that” as there are a lot of trees, a small gazebo and is not too “friendly” or “usable” to the community.
Dunphy said the total for this grant is estimated to be about $1.25. “It’s a sizable grant,” he added.
He went on to say that the common is a design effort with the idea they will roll this out to the town and solicit input and create a plan. Once the design is complete the town will seek future funding for the actual improvements.
The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the CDBG application.