WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Seven petitioners seeking a total of $189,501 have submitted applications to the Community Preservation Committee for fiscal 2018, according to the town website on Sunday.

 

The deadline for FY18 applications passed on Dec. 17.

 

The total amount of money sought is about $19,500 above the CPC's stated target for distributions in the next fiscal year. The committee expects to have about $311,000 available from Community Preservation Act revenues, but it has decided to try to carry a $140,000 balance forward into the next fiscal year.

 

The seven requests before the committee are distributed among the three allowable uses under the act: open space/recreation, historic preservation and affordable housing.

 

The largest single "ask" falls under the historic preservation category. The Department of Public Works is seeking $46,000 toward the restoration of the stone wall at the entrance to Mount Hope Park.

 

The restoration of the 1920s stone wall is related to the 2015-16 reconstruction of the Mount Hope Bridge, which provides access to Hopper Road.

 

"Great care was taken during the design of the replacement bridge to replicate the appearance of the original structure to the maximum extent possible," according to the application submitted by DPW Director Tim Kaiser. "The bridge was finished with a beautiful cut stone veneer very reminiscent of the original structure and that of the stone wall that is the subject of this request.

 

"Unfortunately, restoration of the stone wall at the entry to the park was not eligible for funding under the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Bridge Replacement program."

 

The total cost of the restoration is $50,000, of which Kaiser writes the town is contributing $4,000 from the DPW budget to do plans and administer the public bidding process.

 

Folllowing closely behind the DPW application is a $45,123 request from the Spruces Land Use Committee.

 

The town panel looking at how to convert the former mobile home park to a town amenity hopes to launch Phase One of the restoration in 2017.

 

According to the application, the total cost of the Phase 1 work is $86,523, of which the CPC is being asked to fund 54 percent.

 

"Fortunately, Andy Hogeland [of the Spruces committee] and [Guntlow & Associates'] Julie Sniezek talked to Tim Kaiser about what the DPW could possibly do of these things we need done on the property," Spruces Chairman Thomas Hyde told the Board of Selectmen. "We're looking at removing existing trees and stumps, removing existing roads and using that gravel elsewhere. About $38,000 of the initial cost could be done by town employees.

 

The CPC will renew all seven applications starting at its Jan. 4 meeting with an eye toward holding a second review on Jan. 17 and a final review and selection of the projects it recommends funding on Feb. 7. The final say on whether to allocate CPA funds is made at the May annual town meeting.

 

In May 2002, the town decided to add a 2 percent property tax surcharge as allowed under the CPA. The first $100,000 of property value is exempted from the surcharge. The money generated by the town's CPA tax is supplemented by a partial match from the commonwealth.

 

The breakdown of this year's applications by category (some projects claim applicability under two categories) is: 

 

• Historic preservation: Williamstown Historical Museum ($7,700), Stone Hill Bench ($19,000), Mount Hope Farm Stone Wall ($46,000) and First Congregational Church ($8,608).

 

• Open space/recreation: Spruces Land Use Committee ($45,123), Stone Hill Bench, Sand Springs Pool ($38,070).

 

• Affordable housing: Affordable Housing Trust ($25,000).

 

The lone affordable housing project, submitted by the town trust, seeks $10,000 toward a pilot rental assistance program and $15,000 in general support for the AHT's programs, which include its DeMayo Mortgage Assistance Program and potential development costs associated with the trust's efforts to build housing on two lots it owns in town.

 

The Affordable Housing Trust application cites the potential of $10,000 in matching funds for the rental assistance program. In recent years, CPC members have strongly encouraged applicants to cite matching funds in their applications.

 

Five of the applications seek five-figure dollar amounts.

 

In addition to the Spruces, Mount Hope Farm's stone wall and Affordable Housing Trust, the Conservation Commission seeks $19,000 for the restoration of the historic Stone Hill Bench, also known as the Great Stone Seat. The bench was constructed in 1926 and is located on land under the care, custody and control of the Con Comm. The commission's application seeks the entire project's cost to be funded by the CPC.

 

The private non-profit Sand Springs Recreational Center Inc. seeks 90 percent of the cost of a $42,300 project to make the facility more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project would "create an outdoor entrance that is more accessible to those with disabilities" and build a walkway from the parking area directly to the pool.

 

The two smallest applications on the CPC's agenda come from the Williamstown Historical Museum and First Congregational Church.

 

The latter seeks 67 percent of a $12,900 renovation project that includes repairs to the foundation of the historic Main Street (Route 2) Meetinghouse. The meeting house is part of the commonwealth's inventory of historic assets. The present meetinghouse, built in 1869, replaced the original structure that was erected in 1798.

 

The museum seeks 75 percent of a $10,310 project to preserve, conserve and display "historically valuable textiles," including the 19th century wedding dress of Louise Daley, who married local businessman Frederic A. Moore.

 

"These pieces, along with others chosen for treatment, are important artifacts that provide evidence of the interests and activities of our town's past residents," the museum's application reads. "Treatment goals range from freezing textiles to eradicate insects that may be present int he articles to cleaning, stabilization and mending."

 

The museum cites a contribution of more than $2,000 from its own coffers and $500 in private funding toward the project.