The Northampton Community Preservation Committee on April 16 provisionally advanced eight projects and several funding phases into a “shopping cart” to prepare a final funding recommendation to City Council at a follow-up meeting April 30.

Chair Brian opened the funding discussion by saying the committee’s goal for the night was to complete the spring round: “Our time to, discuss and, if time allows, approve funding recommendations for spring 2025,” he said. Staff member Sarah gave the financial context, saying the committee had roughly $1.155 million available for this round before small, previously committed expenditures and that the actual amount available for allocation was lower after accounting for the Forbes Library Calvin Coolidge collection expense.

Why it matters: The committee’s provisional shopping-cart process bundles project approvals for later “checkout” so the body can balance bonding obligations, reserves, and partial funding choices. Members spent most of the meeting weighing whether to bond the largest item — the Leeds School playground — and whether to split other projects into phases to reduce near-term borrowing.

Most significant votes and actions
- Clapp (Clapp) House accessibility and kitchen: The committee first moved the Clapp House phase that would provide accessible entry and restrooms into the shopping cart (motion passed by roll call). A second motion to add the kitchen phase passed 5–4, putting both phases into the cart. Committee discussion centered on whether splitting the project into two phases would reduce near-term bonding and on whether full ADA compliance required both phases; architects said the priority was safe access and that some elements could be staged.

- Ruggles Center accessibility: Members debated ADA compliance details, surfacing concerns about the parking surface and whether the proposed compacted gravel would qualify as a compliant loading area. Architect Trish (applicant representative) said the design had been revised to move the handicap space and provide a five-foot loading zone adjacent to the ramp; she also reconfirmed the team will obtain required permits. The committee voted to move the Ruggles Center accessibility project (reduced budget) into the shopping cart.

- Boggy Meadow Trail: The implementation phase of Boggy Meadow Trail — previously funded for planning — was approved unanimously for the shopping cart. Staff said a state grant decision expected in June or July could reduce the final local ask.

- Historic preservation proposals: The committee approved funding recommendations for Historic Northampton’s clothing conservation request and a Laurel Park documentation project. The cemetery stone preservation proposal was also advanced; one committee member (Martha) recused herself from that vote and the remaining members approved the project.

- Mains Field (flood resilience) Phase 2: After discussion about sequencing the engineering/conditions assessment (phase 1) and how public charrettes would be conducted, the committee voted to move Phase 2 into the shopping cart. Members emphasized the planned approach: engineers will complete the field-condition work first, and the public visioning will be scoped by the consultants based on those technical constraints.

- Leeds School playground (largest ask): After extended conversation about bonding capacity and longer-term obligations (DOE projects including JFK Courts and Ryan Road Playground were noted as existing bonding commitments), the committee approved advancing the Leeds School playground with a motion authorizing bonding as needed. Members repeatedly said they favored bonding the playground so the committee could fund other projects this round without exhausting available cash.

Financial and policy context
Sarah presented the committee’s reserves and bonding picture: roughly $747,000 in an undesignated fund, about $267,000 in the open-space reserve and approximately $140,829 in the historic reserve (subject to small adjustments for previously committed outlays). She also reviewed outstanding bonding obligations for prior projects (Florence Fields, Bean Allard, Pulaski Park overlook) and noted the new obligations from JFK Courts and Ryan Road Playground will increase bonding percentages in FY26. The committee discussed five-year bonding as the typical term and noted prior combined rates just under 3.2% for similar projects, though staff cautioned rates could change by the time any issue goes to market.

Next steps and timing
The committee did not finalize the shopping-cart “checkout” on April 16. Chair Brian and staff agreed the group will reconvene April 30 to finalize the report to City Council, review council orders, and confirm any conditions the committee wants attached to project grants (for example, clarifications about ADA compliance, permitting, or project phasing). Sarah said she would gather additional written material requested by members — including revised Ruggles Center drawings and permit conversations with the building inspector — ahead of the April 30 meeting.

What the committee did not do
No final disbursements were made at the April 16 meeting. Most approvals were procedural—placing projects into a provisional shopping cart for final action at the April 30 meeting. The committee repeatedly separated “discussion only” items from formal votes and asked staff to return with clarified budgets, permit confirmations, and grant-match updates before final sign-off.

Quotes
- “Our time to, discuss and, if time allows, approve funding recommendations for spring 2025,” Chair Brian said as the committee opened the funding discussion.
- “CPA funds available for this round were $1,155,000,” Sarah said while reviewing the financial overview and reserves.
- “If we bond [the Leeds playground], it gives us flexibility to do pretty much whatever we want on the other ones,” committee member Kevin said in favor of bonding the school playground.

Ending
The committee’s provisional approvals on April 16 set the stage for a final vote and a report to City Council on April 30. Members asked staff to return with clarified budgets, permit confirmations and grant-match updates before the final “checkout.”