Leonie Glogower, Holyoke’s director of conservation and sustainability, asked the Community Preservation Committee on Jan. 14 to consider a $200,000 CPA request for repairs and accessibility upgrades at Scott Tower in a $725,000 project budget.

The proposal would fully replace deteriorated exterior stone elements and the tower’s interior stair system with a new aluminum staircase, add a concrete accessible ramp and handrails, repave and regrade the access corridor, repoint loose masonry and reuse stone slabs from the Whiting Street Reservoir for landscaping features. “This tower needs to get a building permit and we need to meet modern accessibility requirements,” Glogower said during the presentation.

Glogower said construction documents have reached 100% and that earlier work — an accessible trail and undergrounding of utilities — laid groundwork for the tower phase. She reported prior awards and matching funds: a prior CPA award of $100,000 (which she said may need an extension), a $425,000 Parkland, Acquisitions and Recreation grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), and an outstanding CPA request of $200,000 to reach the $725,000 project total.

A structural evaluation by GCA found the tower in better condition than some expected, Glogower said; the project will nevertheless replace non‑structural decorative elements, reinforce the first landing slab and replace loose stones. The presenter also said the team has engaged DCA Geo Environmental for site design and has completed community outreach and a public survey with roughly 450 responses.

Committee members pressed on operations and public safety. Glogower said discussions with the parks department and the mayor’s office are underway about a ranger or similar staffing for day‑to‑day oversight and that Kestrel Land Trust is exploring a revolving fund to support ongoing maintenance. “There probably will be repointing required in the future,” she said; the project design aims to reduce recurring maintenance where possible.

Members also raised lighting and surveillance to deter vandalism and improve safety. Anya, the project’s engineer, said the park has electrical conduits and that the current phase includes a stub for future service to the tower, but bringing full power and camera feeds to the tower would require additional underground conduit work. Committee discussion included rough cost estimates for running conduit and lighting; no firm cost was provided at the meeting.

Glogower asked the committee to consider the request without a formal vote that night; the committee thanked the presenters and invited follow‑up documentation and cost estimates on items such as lighting and future electrical work. Under grant requirements relayed during the presentation, the project must release bid documents and select a contractor in FY26 and demonstrate that construction has started by July 1 of the grant year, with project completion by May 2027.

The committee will take the Scott Tower application into consideration as part of its upcoming funding allocations and may request further financial detail and maintenance commitments before making a final recommendation.