WHAT'S NEW:
NOTE:
The December 18th meeting and the January 1st meetings have been canceled.
December 2007: After seeking public comment, the Community
Preservation Committee approved its Guidelines
for Project Eligibility for determining eligibility and priority
of funding projects. The committee also approved an Application
Form for Funding (Application
Form [PDF format] or Application
Form [DOC format] ).
December 4, 2007: The Community Preservation Committee held its open Public Forum.
LAST MAY'S TOWN MEETING APPROVED THESE
COMMITTEE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS
| Town Meeting appropriated $29,300 (Open Space) as the Town's contribution towards purchasing over 60 acres of forests, ponds, and open fields, protecting important sources of drinking water. State agreed to provide $367,200, with additional private contributions | SCARBOROUGH BROOK RECREATION
AREA CONSERVATION COMMISSION |
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SWIFT
RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND |
Town Meeting appropriated $38,136 (Recreation)
to the Cold Spring Swift River PTO for the Swift River School Playground,
to be used by children ages 2 to 12. |
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| Town Meeting appropriated $42,991 (Recreation) for first-year construction of the long-proposed memorial baseball field ($39,111) and for safety netting at Parsons ($3,880). | BELCHERTOWN
RECREATION DEPARTMENT |
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VETERANS GRAVES OFFICER (link to Historic Cemeteries) |
Town Meeting appropriated $12,960 (Historic Preservation) for fencing and protection of the historic Munsell, Liberty, and Dwight Cemeteries. | ||
| Town Meeting appropriated $5,000 (Historic Preservation) to bind and safely store birth, marriage, and death records. | HISTORIC VITAL RECORDS |
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BELCHERTOWN HISTORICAL COMMISSION TOWN-WIDE |
Town Meeting appropriated $25,000 (Historic Preservation) to pay for a preservation professional to conduct an inventory of historic structures in Belchertown. The Historical Commission will receive an additional $15,000 matching grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. | ||
| Town Meeting appropriated $36,000 (Recreation) to Belchertown HS and the Belchertown Orioles Athletic Association to build an irrigation system on two athletic fields, improving the quality and safety of the fields, and making it possible to expand usage. | BELCHERTOWN
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC FIELDS |
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CLAPP MEMORIAL LIBRARY HISTORIC WINDOW |
Town Meeting appropriated $43,780 (Historic Preservation) to restore the 19th century window, dedicated by Susan M. D. Bridgman in memory of her husband Calvin. On the north side of the 1887 building, it depicts St. Cecila, patron saint of music, holding a viola. The library is part of the campus within the Belchertown Historic District. | ||
| Town Meeting appropriated $39,936 (Historic Preservation) be used to replace 86-year-old windows in the 180-year-old museum, preserving the interior artifacts and making the exterior look more authentic. | STONE
HOUSE MUSEUM WINDOWS |
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EDWIN BRIDGMAN HOUSE CHIMNEYS |
Town Meeting appropriated $5,000 (Historic Preservation) to help preserve the Historic District skyline by restoring the chimneys on the 1795 house on the corner of Main and Jackson Streets. | ||
| Town Meeting appropriated $6,000 (Recreation) to move a portion of the Recreation Path (between Jackson and State Streets) from the railroad tracks, making it more accessible, less dangerous, and more friendly to abutters. | BELCHERTOWN
LAND TRUST |
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NEW
ENGLAND SMALL FARMS INSTITUTE ROOT CELLAR |
Town Meeting appropriated $28,000 (Historic Preservation) to help preserve writings by State School residents and unique farming structure, commemorating two of our town’s most important historical traditions. | ||
| Town Meeting appropriated $17,000 (Historic Preservation) to help restore roof of Historic District 1888 Parish House on Town Common. | BELCHERTOWN
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST PARISH HOUSE RESTORATION |
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May 2007: Town Meeting Approved Funding Recommendations. (See above.)
April 2007: Committee Announces Funding Recommendation
for May 14th Town Meetings.
March 2007: Before the February 28th deadline, fourteen
applicants applied for Community Preservation Act funding for thirty-eight
projects. The committee is very pleased with such wide participation in
this first year. We are reviewing the applications for completeness, eligibility,
and priority.
December 2006: After seeking public comment, the Community Preservation
Committee approved its Guidelines
for Project Eligibility for determining eligibility and priority
of funding projects. The committee also approved an Application
Form for Funding (Application
Form [PDF format] or Application
Form [DOC format] ).
January 2007: A Public Meeting to Answer Questions
about Application Procedures was held on January 16th in Town Hall. These
Funding Questions-and-Answers
(PDF format) have been answered already. Additional questions
should be submitted in writing by
email to the committee.
APPLICATIONS FORMS([PDF format] or [DOC format] ) FOR FUNDING FOR THE MAY 2008 TOWN MEETING ARE AVAILABLE. THEY MUST BE FILED BY JANUARY 31, 2008.
MEETING SCHEDULE in Town Hall:
The committee meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month at 7:00
pm
NOTE: The December 18th meeting and
the January 1st meetings have been canceled.
Preserving and Enhancing our Town: The Belchertown Community Preservation Act
What is the Community Preservation Act and How Does it Benefit
Residents of Belchertown?
The Community Preservation Act [CPA] is a state tool to help individual
towns and cities in the preservation and enhancement of their community.
The residents of Belchertown voted in May 2005 to adopt the CPA. The
monies available for distribution are based on a 1.5% surcharge on property
taxes and a state match. This sum will be allocated to projects that
will specifically benefit Belchertown.
How Does the Money Get Allocated?
The Community Preservation Committee [CPC] was established
by the Town of Belchertown to review project applications and make recommendations
to the Town Meeting, where they are voted on. There are nine members
of the CPC; they include four "at large" members appointed
by the Board of Selectmen, and one representative from each of the following
Town committees: Conservation Commission, Historic Commission, Housing
Authority, Planning Board, and Recreation Commission.
Each year 30% of the funds must be allocated—10%
to each of the three categories of open space, historic preservation,
and community housing. The remaining 70% may be allocated to any of
the above categories plus to recreation. The Community Preservation
Committee has voted to reserve ten percent of total funds available
for projects under $5,000.
What Kind of Projects are Eligible for CPA Funding in Belchertown?
State legislation requires that CPA funds be used for projects
that are consistent with the Belchertown's planning documents regarding
community preservation and fall under one or more of the following four
categories: open space, historical resources, community housing, and
recreation. After a careful study of the Town planning documents and
the CPA legislation, the CPC has established a) general criteria for
project eligibility and b) specific criteria for each of the four categories.
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| Edwina Cruise | Ken Elstein | Jim Gambaro | Betsy Loughran | Cliff McCarthy | Jim Natle | Rob Rizzo | Karen Schiffer | Leslie Squires |