Greenfield committee supports full funding for homeless shelter expansion

By MARY BYRNE

Staff Writer

Published: 03-27-2023 6:25 PM

GREENFIELD — Ten of 14 projects seeking Community Preservation Act funding received a favorable recommendation from the Community Preservation Committee Thursday evening.

While some projects were recommended to be fully funded, such as renovation and expansion of the Wells Street homeless shelter, others, like the Franklin County Fairgrounds barn rehabilitation project and a pickleball court expansion, were recommended to get partial funding. The city has $335,000 to award for the 2022-2023 grant cycle.

City Council is expected to consider the committee’s recommendations at one of its meetings this spring.

Among the projects considered Thursday evening was a $100,000 request from Clinical & Support Options (CSO) to go toward the $23 million renovation and expansion of the Wells Street homeless shelter.

“We talked about how our highest priority is to create greater housing choice … and we also ranked the project higher than any other project because a lot of our ranking is based on how it significantly impacts disadvantaged populations,” said Community Preservation Committee Chair Travis Drury. “To me, it hit all the points that we asked the project to hit.”

There was some disagreement between committee members over whether to fully fund the request, given the fact it would be “a lot of skin off our back” compared to the overall cost.

“We need to show we’re interested in this,” said committee member Garth Shaneyfelt. “It’s an amazing project. It’s ridiculously expensive because of all of the craziness it involves. It’s not really going to change the project if we offer $45,000, $55,000 or $100,000.”

Ultimately, the committee voted unanimously to recommend that CSO receive the full requested amount of $100,000, with member Susan Worgaftik — a board member for the Franklin County Housing & Redevelopment Authority and FCHRA’s subsidiary Rural Development Inc, which is working with CSO on developing the housing — abstaining. Worgatik also recused herself from the conversation.

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As for the $300,000 request for the pickleball court expansion near Abercrombie Park, committee members ultimately settled on recommending $50,000 to fund a feasibility study and site prep work.

“This is going to become more and more popular as more people are exposed to it,” said committee member Tom Guerino.

Meanwhile, while most committee members were supportive of the barn rehabilitation at the Franklin County Fairgrounds — and were impressed by the level of public support it warranted — they ultimately recommended funding roughly $31,000 of the Franklin County Agricultural Society’s $75,000 request.

“I like the project,” committee member Yanis Chibani. “There’s a lot of support for it … but I’m more in favor of partial funding.”

Although the motion to amend the amount to $31,023 passed by a vote of five to three, the Community Preservation Committee ultimately voted unanimously to recommend funding $31,023 of the project. Committee member John Passiglia, who is also a member of the Franklin County Agricultural Society’s board of directors, recused himself from the discussion and abstained in the final vote.

Of the 14 projects, the four that failed to receive a recommendation for funding this cycle included an $8,000 request for an aerator or aerating fountain at Highland Pond; a $28,876 request for a new drinking fountain at the Highland Park tennis courts; a $20,000 request for a bike route feasibility study; and finally, a $184,750 request for improving park signs at Highland Park.

Project requestsfor 2023-2024CPA funding cycle

■Franklin County Agricultural Society barn rehabilitation — Request: $75,000; Recommendation: $31,023.

■Historical Society document preservation — Request: $15,500; Recommendation: $15,500.

■Museum of Our Industrial Heritage shop equipment restoration — Request: $1,000; Recommendation $1,000.

■CSO Wells Street shelter expansion, renovation — Request: $100,000; Recommendation: $100,000.

■Highland Park/Temple Woods trail restoration — Request: $15,000; Recommendation: $15,000.

■Pickleball court expansion — Request: $300,000; Recommendation: $50,000.

■Accessibility improvements at Greenfield High School track — Request: $750; Recommendation: $750.

■Beacon Park improvements — Request: $75,500; Recommendation: $75,500.

■Installation of fitness cluster at Shattuck Park — Request: $24,000; Recommendation: $24,000.

■Recreation Department land site amenities: Request: $109,000; Recommendation: $22,226.

■Bike route feasibility study — Request: $20,000; Recommendation: $0.

■Highland Park signs — Requested: $184,750; Recommendation: $0.

■Highland Pond aerator — Request $8,000; Recommendation: $0.

■Drinking foundation at Highland Park tennis courts — Request: $28,876; Recommendation: $0.

In an earlier version of this article, Susan Worgaftik’s reason for recusing herself from a conversation about the Wells Street shelter expansion was incorrectly reported. Worgaftik is a board member for the Franklin County Housing & Redevelopment Authority and FCHRA’s subsidiary Rural Development Inc, which is working with Clinical & Support Options (CSO) on developing the housing.

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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