AMHERST — Construction of accessible trails at the former Hickory Ridge Golf Course that will connect apartment complexes to Pomeroy Village Center and rebuilding of sidewalks along Kellogg Avenue in downtown Amherst are among projects being supported by Community Development Block Grant money.
Following a state-mandated delay in the process, Amherst was recently awarded $825,000, with $536,250 going toward the infrastructure improvements. Of that amount, $185,076 is targeted to Hickory Ridge, $170,076 for Kellogg Avenue and $181,098 toward roof replacement at the Amherst Housing Authority’s Watson Farms apartments.
An additional $165,000 is going to support five social service agencies, including the Amherst Survival Center’s food pantry and youth mentoring by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County.
Amherst is eligible for the money as a mini-entitlement community designated by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development.
The town is also one of 45 recipients of $38 million in CDBG funding statewide that will benefit low- and moderate-income residents.
In Hampshire County, other CDBG money was awarded, including in Easthampton, which is receiving $800,000 for infrastructure improvements to Cherry Street; in Hadley and South Hadley, which are receiving $570,500 for housing rehabilitation assistance to 10 units, aging-in-place improvements and planning for Americans with Disabilities Act improvements to Hadley Town Hall; and in Huntington, which is receiving $727,000 for infrastructure improvements to Crescent Street and design for Stanton Avenue improvements.
In making the awards announcements, Gov. Charlie Baker said the money fills a critical need.
“Now more than ever, it is important that we focus our efforts on providing services to our most vulnerable residents, and the projects we fund through CDBG are geared toward doing just that,” Baker said.
Amherst had finalized a review process in early 2021 but then had to reopen the applications, with another examination of projects taking place last August.
Two, $100,000 requests were not recommended or funded. Those were for making the southern courtyard outside the Bangs Community Center accessible, and accessibility improvements to the Munson Memorial Library.
For social service agencies, $51,000 is going to the food pantry and $29,200 will be used for youth mentoring. In addition, $36,500 goes toward community housing provided by Family Outreach of Amherst, $32,850 for homeless housing offered by Amherst Community Connections and $15,350 for adult education self sufficiency programs taught by The Literacy Project.
Due to being capped at five social service agencies, requests from Craig’s Doors: A Home Association Inc., Center for New Americans, Collaborative for Educational Services and Amherst Media were not funded.
Meantime, Amherst is looking for volunteers to join the Amherst CDBG Advisory Committee. Those interested can submit an application at www.amherstma.gov/caf
The CDBG Advisory Committee is also seeking public input on service priorities for the 2022 to 2023 funding year, with a short survey available at www.engageamherst.org/2022cdbg
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.