Panel hears $939K in CPA funding requests

NORTHAMPTON — The Community Preservation Committee heard presentations for five funding requests on Wednesday — projects that include ecological restoration, recreation and historic preservation projects approaching $1 million.

The Community Preservation Act, signed into law in 2000, allows municipalities to raise money through a property tax surcharge of up to 3% for open space protection, historic preservation and the provision of affordable housing, which is matched by state dollars.

This year, the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is reviewing five applications for funding totaling approximately $939,000 in requests. The City Council is expected to vote on which projects to support at its meeting in May, after the CPC makes its final recommendations to the council at a public hearing scheduled for April 29.

Pine Grove restoration

The costliest funding request this year is the Conservation Commission and Office of Planning and Sustainability’s $330,111 request to create trails and conduct ecological restoration work at the wildlife corridor in the area formerly known as the Pine Grove Golf Course.

Presenting the proposed project before the CPC, Director of Planning & Sustainability Carolyn Misch explained that the 105-acre golf course property, which the city acquired at the end of 2019, has seen new walkways and trees, but the Conservation Commission is still working toward Phase II project goals, such as reestablishing a stream channel that runs along the former golf course, controlling erosion and removing artificial dams.

The project has already received a number of state grants, including through the Massachusetts Vulnerability Preparedness program and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity, for the site’s purchase and restoration, Misch noted.

“There are still some significant features of the golf course that are impeding the natural connectivity of the stream with its flood plain,” Misch said. “This funding would help to remove the dams. If we didn’t do that, there is a risk that those could burst because they’re not being maintained.”

The CPA funds, Misch continued, would match a Massachusetts Vulnerability Preparedness grant of roughly $3 million. She noted that signage, restoration of the banks and streams and additional planting will also be included as aspects of the project.

Northern Avenue trail connection

Misch also presented the Office of Planning and Sustainability’s request to build a disability-accessible connection between Northern Avenue and the Norwottuck Rail Trail, which runs from King Street to Belchertown.

Misch explained that the office is either seeking $45,000 or $202,000, depending on the project’s ability to secure grant funding through MassTrails. The Department of Conservation and Recreation-approved project, she added, closes the gap in the city’s rail trail path from the end of Northern Avenue to the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail.

“This is a section that we’ve looked at for design that has an affinity path already. It’s well-worn but it’s not accessible,” Misch said. “It goes down into a wetland and up, so there’s erosion issues, but clearly there’s a desire to get through this section of the neighborhood just to get over to the shared use path.”

Misch explained that the department published a citywide survey about the trail connection, in which 20% of respondents expressed a desire for a connecting path at the end of Northern Avenue and roughly 32% reported using an informal path — such as crossing private property — to travel between trails.

Misch continued to present survey results, noting that while 96% of the 120 respondents reported using the path for recreation, more than 23% also claimed to use the path to commute to work, 4% reported using the path to commute to school and 60% reported using the path to run errands.

“It’s used primarily for exercise and recreation but also for commuting and running errands,” Misch said. “The respondents in this initial questionnaire were primarily Ward 2 respondents but we also got a good spread across the community.”

Coolidge Museum lighting

Of this year’s proposed historic preservation project requests, the CPC heard Library Director Lisa Downey present Forbes Library’s request for $145,385 to install lighting at the library’s Coolidge Museum, intended to better display and preserve artifacts related to the 30th U.S. President Calvin Coolidge.

Downey kicked off her presentation to the CPC by providing a quick overview of the Coolidge Museum, noting that it has been largely unchanged since it opened in the 1950s.

“Back in 1912, an earlier library director started noticing the career of a local political figure who was working his way through local politics,” she said. “He held many, many seats in Massachusetts before moving on to become vice president and president — that is Calvin Coolidge.”

Downey said the lighting funding request accounts for approximately 28% of a larger renovation project, which is expected to come at a total cost of $507,083.

Michael Hanke, of Design Divisions, Inc., has been working with the library throughout its museum preservation project, and presented an overview of the former president’s ties to Northampton, displaying images of Coolidge standing in City Hall as well as the Masonic Block downtown.

Outlining the renovations, Hanke noted plans to remove harsh and natural light to protect the artifacts. He also mentioned interactive elements, such as a replica of the Oval Office and a replica of Coolidge’s wardrobe, which visitors can open and close.

“Arguably he’s probably one of the most famous people to come out of Northampton, along with Sojourner Truth, but his display has largely not changed in that time,” Hanke said. “The existing space has some significant shortcomings in terms of lighting. The museum has had it evaluated by a professional and … it exceeds acceptable levels by more than 200%.”

To address the diffuse lighting that could damage artifacts, Hanke plans to either disable or remove the museum’s hanging chandeliers. He said the changes will not only create a “dramatic environment” for the display of existing artifacts, but establish the right lighting conditions for new artifacts to be brought out of archives and displayed.

The Parsons House

Another historical preservation project is Historic Northampton’s $253,660 request to fund Phase II of renovations to the former home of Nathaniel Parsons — a project that is expected to cost a total of $338,082.

Historic Northampton co-Executive Directors Laurie Sanders and Elizabeth Sharpe presented renovation plans for the site, which has been closed to the public since 2007. Sanders explained that the house, which has been at its site since it was built in 1719, stands as the oldest intact house in Northampton.

“The two houses on either side of it just look completely different compared to this house that looks old and falling apart,” Sanders said. “It tells the story of falling economic fortunes in Northampton. By about 1750, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.”

Sharpe provided details of the house’s design and structure, which she said still includes grass-based plaster and other unique structural and design features.

Sanders then explained that the CPC funding, if awarded, would fund urgent structural repairs needed at the Parsons Home, as well as the design and development of plans to bolster the home’s accessibility, energy efficiency, mechanic systems and fire detection.

The CPC also heard from the Lilly Library Association, which is requesting $7,625 to replace the stone stairs at the front of the building.