AMHERST — More than $1 million in projects that depend on Community Preservation Act funding, with some aimed at creating affordable housing, are being recommended by the CPA Committee.
The $1.07 million in new spending will come before Town Meeting for approval this spring based on the recent recommendations from the committee. An additional $320,843 will also come from the account to pay debt on previously approved projects.
The largest request among the new spending is $266,200 for the Amherst Community Land Trust, which intends to create an affordable homebuyers program that will acquire the land on which two low- or middle-income first-time homebuyers will be able to buy homes.
Maurianne Adams, a member of the trust, said that it will maintain ownership of the land in perpetuity, and the ground lease stipulates that because the home is purchased affordably, it must be resold affordably.
“The grant will enable us to purchase two such properties and make them affordable,” Adams said.
Another $190,000 will go toward development and consulting support for the Amherst Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, which is considering a project that could convert the East Street School into affordable housing units.
Amherst Community Connections, a local agency, is slated to get $112,815 to support a housing stabilization program.
An 1833 farmhouse at 1089 North Pleasant St. will get $130,000 so the North Amherst Community Farm can preserve and rehabilitate it, while $113,000 will be used to acquire the 30.4-acre Epstein property in South Amherst, which includes a seven-acre pond, connects to the Mount Holyoke Range and borders the Sweet Alice Conservation Area.
The recommendations also include $90,000 to assist in the development of a dog park on the capped landfill on the south side of Belchertown Road, and $50,000 for improving basketball courts and $44,550 for enhancing the baseball fields at Mill River Recreation Area.
The Amherst Historical Society is approved for two appropriations: $30,000 for a new boiler at Strong House museum, and $13,580 for continued preservation of textiles.
Finally, $25,000 will be used by town staff for due diligence related to preservation of conservation land, and $3,500 will go toward administrative costs.
One request that is not moving forward is $45,000 to pay for the immediate installation of a unisex, handicapped-accessible bathroom in the North Amherst Library. Town Manager Paul Bockelman said the town is in the process of hiring a consultant, based on Town Meeting action last fall, to develop plans for making the building accessible and adding a bathroom.
Among the previous projects that still need to be paid off are acquisition of the Hawthorne property on East Pleasant Street, where a Habitat for Humanity duplex was constructed, and the financial assistance to preserve the affordability of numerous homes at Rolling Green Apartments.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.