Finance Committee recommends City Council approve package of Community Preservation Act funding for local preservation, accessibility and recreation projects

The Northampton City Finance Committee recommended that City Council approve a package of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding orders covering accessibility, historic‑preservation, park improvements and flood‑resilience work.

The committee met June 16 and, after reviewing nine CPA orders, voted by voice to forward a positive recommendation on the full package to the City Council. The recommendation will appear on the council agenda on Wednesday.

The Community Preservation Committee staff member who presented the items, Sarah LaValle, told the committee the recommended awards would expend the available FY2025 CPA funds and include a borrowing request to allow completion of the projects.

Front and center among the projects recommended for council approval was an estimated $248,000 appropriation for construction of an accessible trail at the Cook Avenue entrance to Fitzgerald Lake that leads to the Beaver Pond. LaValle said the existing former roadway is rocky, rooted and uneven and that the work would convert the existing route to a soft‑surface accessible pathway (likely gravel). She said the construction cost shown in the CPC recommendation would be reduced to a local match only if a pending MassTrails grant application is successful; the transcript records that a 25% local match is required for that grant.

Other recommended projects included a $70,000 package for further design and community engagement on Main Field flood‑resilience work; a $17,400 appropriation to fund an accessible ramp redesign at the Ruggles Center so the facility meets ADA slope and code requirements; a $35,000 grant to document Laurel Park and support consideration for National Register of Historic Places listing; and a small Forbes Library textiles assessment and preservation award described in the presentation as approximately $3,000.

The committee also recommended awards to support preservation of Historic Northampton’s clothing collection, a priority gravestone conservation program for the city’s older cemeteries, an accessible playground at Leeds School (described as a joint project with the school and central services), and accessibility upgrades at 148 South Street (the Daughters of the American Revolution Betty Allen Chapter house). For several items the transcript contains garbled dollar figures; those amounts are not specified in the committee record excerpt presented during the meeting.

Committee members asked questions about designs, public involvement and previous CPA awards. Councilor LaBarge supported the Ruggles Center ramp, saying the project would address an existing ramp that “doesn’t meet code and is difficult.” Councilors asked whether the Disability Commission had been consulted for the Ruggles design; LaValle said the commission was not specifically consulted because the issue was largely technical (ramp slope and code compliance) and that the Ruggles volunteers had driven design work. On the Fitzgerald Lake entrance project, councilors clarified the work would not create new trail mileage but would convert the existing roadway into an accessible pathway and noted the project had been funded for design previously.

On Main Field, LaValle said the requested $70,000 would continue work by the consultant Fuss & O’Neill (spelled in the meeting transcript as “Fussin O’Neil”) to advance H&H modeling, topography and community input so designers can propose options that accept and manage recurring flooding rather than simply rebuilding to prior conditions.

Several councilors and members praised the Community Preservation Committee’s review process. LaValle said the CPC process and the project applications are available on the CPC website and include construction and post‑completion photographs for earlier projects.

The committee’s positive recommendation was moved and seconded on the record; the motion was decided by voice vote and recorded as “the ayes have it.” The record does not show a roll‑call tally. The items will appear on the full City Council agenda for final action.

Votes at a glance - Order 25.26 — Appropriate $17,400 in CPA funds for Ruggles Center accessibility upgrades. Committee recommendation: positive (forwarded to City Council). Amount as stated in meeting record. - Order 25.261 — Appropriate $248,000 in CPA funds for Boggy Meadow Road (Cook Avenue entrance to Fitzgerald Lake) trail construction. Committee recommendation: positive (forwarded). Amount and grant match discussion as stated in meeting record; final local obligation contingent on MassTrails grant and a 25% required local match. - Order 25.262 — Appropriate $35,000 in CPA funds for Laurel Park documentation project (historic survey / National Register research). Committee recommendation: positive (forwarded). Amount as stated in meeting record. - Order 25.263 — Appropriate $70,000 in CPA funds for Main Field flood‑resilience, phase 2 (consultant design and community engagement). Committee recommendation: positive (forwarded). Amount as stated in meeting record. - Order (Leeds playground) — Accessible playground for Leeds School (joint project with central services). Committee recommendation: positive (forwarded). Dollar amount: not specified in the meeting transcript excerpt. - Order 25.265 — Priority clothing collection restoration (Historic Northampton). Committee recommendation: positive (forwarded). Dollar amount: not specified / garbled in meeting transcript excerpt. - Order 25.266 — Priority historic gravestone conservation (city cemeteries, Park Street and West Farm cited). Committee recommendation: positive (forwarded). Dollar amount: not specified / garbled in meeting transcript excerpt. - Order 25.267 — Appropriate approximately $3,000 in CPA funds for Forbes Library textile preservation (assessment and initial conservation). Committee recommendation: positive (forwarded). Amount as stated in meeting record. - Order 25.268 — Accessibility upgrades at 148 South Street (Daughters of the American Revolution Betty Allen Chapter). Committee recommendation: positive (forwarded). Dollar amount: not specified / garbled in meeting transcript excerpt.

What this means next The Finance Committee’s positive recommendation sends these CPA orders to the full City Council for final consideration. Several projects depend on outside grants or future borrowing to complete construction; the committee discussed those contingencies during the presentation.