SOUTHWICK – The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved project recommendations for the 2014 Community Development Fund application.
James M. Mazik of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and members of the development fund committee met with the board this week and put forth three projects for application consideration from Southwick and Granville.
The first was a Southwick/Granville Regional Housing Rehabilitation project at a cost of $280,000.
Mazik said housing rehab programs under CDF are intended to serve low- and moderate-income residents by creating safe, sanitary, and affordable housing. This is achieved by correcting building code violations, updating antiquated or failed systems, weatherization improvements, accessibility modifications, hazardous materials abatement, and other household related rehabilitation including roofing, structural repairs, masonry repairs and similar items.
The second project was the Our Community Food Pantry program at a cost of $96,329. That cost would purchase a high-roof van with interior shelving and the funding of related equipment, maintenance and staff. The mobile pantry would provide services to residents of Southwick, Granville and Tolland who are unable to come to the pantry.
The third project was the Veteran Street Infrastructure Improvement. This project would replace the existing 1 1/2-inch diameter asbestos cement water pipe on Veteran Street with an eight-inch ductile iron water main.
“This would also create a loop with Point Grove Road,” said Mazik.
The total cost for all three projects was $898,600. Mazik said the towns can apply for up to $900,000 in CDF.
Committee member Art Pinell endorsed all the projects.
“This program has helped countless people in town and improved infrastructure over many, many years,” he said.
Selectwoman Tracy Cesan asked how the food pantry would maintain and sustain the mobile unit.
Mazik explained that the pantry understands it is their responsibility, not the town’s, to keep up with the van and the mobile pantry’s needs. He did say that there were opportunities for the town to direct funds to the pantry if it wanted to help in the future.
Because of the low- to moderate-income requirements for CDF, the town is planning to concentrate its community development-related activities to the Congamond Lakes neighborhoods, which are the mostly densely populated streets in town.
The lakes have traditionally been occupied by seasonal homes that were converted to year-round residences and represent housing stock with marginal construction, undersized septic systems and shallow wells. Because Granville has a population under 5,000, the target area there is townwide.
Deadline for application is Feb. 14.
