CPA Projects Database

seeks to acquire approximately 25 acres between Route 116 and the Hadley town line. This land would provide an opportunity for a trail connection between two existing conservation areas, while the eastern portion of the site could continue as active farmland or be used for a community garden. An intermittent stream, part of a larger wildlife corridor running from Leverett to the Mill River, runs north to south through the middle of this property.

seeks to acquire portions of the land formerly used as the Hickory Ridge Golf Course on West Pomeroy Lane in South Amherst. The Fort River meanders through the middle of this property, and is one of the highest conservation priorities of the Town, which has spent decades protecting acres of land along its banks and watershed. This is an incredible opportunity to permanently protect over 1.4 miles of the Fort River and its floodplain.

proposal seeks $25,000 to develop a better design for a revitalized site in anticipation of the Town reapplying for a PARC grant this July. This design would be for a comprehensive rework of the play areas and incorporate new amenities needed by the community, rather than the piecemeal approach undertaken previously. Mill River is the most widely used park in Town, offering tennis, basketball, swimming, baseball, and playgrounds, as well as serving as the gateway to the Puffer’s Pond-Mill River greenway.

This proposal seeks to invest in potential affordable housing projects for various development costs, to encourage and support developers who offer to bring affordable housing to Amherst and to allow the Trust to be flexible and agile in offering such support.

This proposal seeks to provide four $50,000 0%-interest 30-year deferred payment loans as mortgage subsidies to write down home buying costs for low to moderate income households to assist with purchases of a home in the Town of Amherst. The program also includes first time homebuyer counseling to 30 households at various stages of the home buying process. The high cost of housing in Amherst requires a higher subsidy amount than traditional programs. These funds will be recaptured in the event of a sale, deed transfer, or refinancing.

This proposal seeks to maintain Town Conservation land by building and repairing bridges, boardwalks, kiosks, signs, parking areas, accessible trails and gates. This funding would only be used on land purchased using CPA monies: Epstein property, Muddy Brook, Wentworth Farm (southern portion), Stosz property, and Fort River Farm. Utilizing a small field staff, summer seasonal crew and volunteers, the Town will commit to better maintain and improve access to these important public resources.

This proposal seeks to complete the final phase of a total restoration of the farmhouse, which has previously been supported in part by a $130,000 CPA grant in FY19 and a $30,000 grant in FY20. This final phase will involve the reinstallation of restored window sashes and installation of new basement windows at the North Amherst Community Farm leased by Simple Gifts Farm.

This proposal seeks funding to continue design and engineering work for the replacement of the track and field and to get more detailed cost estimates. This funding would be combined with CPA funding from the other communities in the Region for a design that would reorient the track and replace the playing fields at the High School.

This proposal seeks to continue a rental subsidy program for individuals in Amherst who experience housing insecurity. The program will provide six rental subsidies, each worth up to $950 per month, to help pay for rent. Housing is to be in Amherst, on a bus route, and in a village center. ACC will provide case management to assist beneficiaries in obtaining permanent housing, increasing their income, and addressing their housing obstacles.

This proposal seeks to remove temporary shoring and correct previous alterations to the south wall under the main entrance of the building, which is currently rolling inward. This project is part of a series of upgrades and repairs being planned for the library, which is a key feature of the North Amherst Village Center.

This proposal would repair and paint the concreate at Mill River Pool. The current, failed, coating system would be removed, concrete would be repaired, caulking replaced, and two coats of high bond epoxy paint applied. The pool currently will not take new paint and the pool will degrade further without action.

This proposal seeks to remove the pavilion on the lower level of Groff Park and to replace it with a prefabricated one similar to the new pavilion near the spray park and playground. The current pavilion is at least 30 years old and is becoming unsafe for public use in one of the most widely used recreation areas in the Town.

This proposal seeks funds for the historic rehabilitation of the North Common. The design consists of pedestrian and vehicular circulation, seating areas, parking, and a plaza, and will make the Common the crown jewel among proposed downtown projects. Funding for this project will be combined with previous CPA awards for the Common. The total funding request was split between two separate applications for funding, $250k for historic and $250k for recreation - this entry was for the recreation funding.

– This proposal seeks to assist the rehabilitation of the historic 1928 Jones Library building and the preservation of the Special Collections/Archives housed there. As part of a larger renovation/expansion of the Library, the project will dedicate most of the ground floor to one of its original uses by expanding space for Special Collections and providing fire suppression, climate control, and storage and work areas.

– The Nutting Apartment Complex at 32-36 Chestnut Court offers congregate-living and group-home apartment units to disabled individuals in need. The complex, built in 1980 and regularly maintained, now requires replacement of its siding, trim, and vapor barrier as these components have reached the end of their useful lives. The project has also received an equivalent grant from the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development.

This house, listed on the National Historic Register, was built in 1864 and left to the Woman’s Club in 1921. The Club has funded extensive interior upgrades and repairs in recent years and now requests CPA funds for repairs to and painting of the cupola, porches, columns, and parts of several walls of the main house. Using CPA funds to paint the Carriage House is not permitted.

The Town seeks CPA funds to drill a new, larger well to replace the smaller, now unproductive well used for irrigation of this very heavily used recreation area, as well as the necessary pumps. The existing system of water lines and sprinkler heads is non-functional and hazardous to players.

The proposal to reorient and reconstruct the track and associated fields and event spaces meets CPAC goals for projects that are broadly supported across the community, Town departments, and the public, addresses documented needs for recreation. Please note that CPA monies cannot be used for artificial turf fields or most permanent structures such as bleachers.

Valley Community Development seeks to build 30 to 32 newly constructed homes (15-16 duplexes) on an 8.33 Acre parcel in North Amherst located at 20-40 Ball Lane. Twenty of the homes will be restricted for sale to Low-to-Moderate Income first-time homebuyer households, with the remaining being sold at market rate. The twenty affordable restricted homes will include a preference for home buyers from “Disproportionately Impacted Households” as required under the Commonwealth Builder (CWB) program, which is the primary subsidy source for the program. The goal of the CWB program is to increase homeownership opportunities for minority households and to shrink the race-based homeownership gap in the state. The $750,000 is requested as a match to the project’s development budget.

This proposal seeks funds for conservation treatment of five paintings by Mabel Loomis Todd that are currently in a fragile and damaged state. The work to be performed requires the skills of an expert and will be conducted by R. Michelson Galleries commencing in July of 2023. The paintings represent the work of a skilled female artist from an earlier time, and the Museum is planning a new exhibition featuring the works later in the summer. These five paintings cannot be displayed until they are repaired.

The South Congregational Church is seeking funds to perform a complete restoration of its steeple. The steeple is leaning precariously to the Southeast due to a cracked beam and rotted posts. The steeple supports an 850-pound Revere Company bell, and a 200-pound weathervane which has been removed recently due to safety concerns. This important historic building was dedicated in 1825 and is approaching its 200th anniversary. The church is extensively utilized and supports a wide range of community-based organizations.

proposal seeks to continue ACC’s Rental Subsidy program for three years. The program benefits families and individuals in Amherst who experience housing insecurity. This program will provide 12 households with ongoing monthly rental vouchers, each in the amount of $400 per month to help pay for rent. In addition, the funds will provide for payment to ACC of an ongoing $75 monthly rent related administrative cost, for each of the 12 households. ACC will separately provide case management services to assist beneficiaries in obtaining permanent housing, increasing their income, and addressing their housing obstacles.

The War Memorial Pool is heavy utilized by Amherst families, individuals, and surrounding communities. In addition, the pool supports Amherst Recreation programs, camps, and youth swimming lessons. This project seeks funding for significant improvements that need to the be made in order to keep the pool operational. The ADA list chair is not functioning and needs replacement, the pool lining needs replacement, and there is a significant water leak in the pool drainage system resulting in an estimated loss of up to 2,000 gallons each day that the pool is filled.

The bathhouse at War Memorial Pool was constructed in 1953 and is in disrepair and in need of replacement. The Pool will not be able to remain open If it is not replaced soon. This design project has two components. The first involves a comprehensive site design for an enhanced War Memorial area as envisioned in the 2019 Weston and Sampson Athletic Facilities Strategic Plan. This will assist with the determination of scope of usage for the bathhouse, and if it would be available for just pool attendees, or also for the greater Community Field and nearby areas. The second is the preliminary design of a new bathhouse.