Applications approved for seven projects at $2.73 million

The Underwood Pool garnered the lions share of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding in a recommendation made recently by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). In all, over $2.73 million in CPA monies were allocated over seven projects. Two million of that was designated for helping to rebuild the pool.

"Three years ago when citizens worked to encourage the voters to adopt the [CPA], one of the projects that was an example of the use of the CPA funds was the Underwood Pool," said Underwood Pool Building Committee Chairman Anne Paulsen. She added that the total cost of the pool rebuild is estimated at $4.5 million, so that the $2 million in CPA funding will greatly reduce the amount of debt exclusion that Town Meeting will have to approve next spring.

The six other approved projects are:

According to CPC chairman Paul Solomon, the "seven projects approved by the CPC and recommended to the May Town Meeting met the criteria for funding listed in at least one of the areas designated by the CPA: Historic Preservation, Community Housing, Open Space and Recreation."

JV field irrigation project

Money to provide better irrigation to the JV field was requested by Belmont Soccer Association (BSA) so that the field may be converted from grass to sod. This is needed because the field, which is currently grass, is used by more than four times as many children as when it was first built and "it is no longer possible to plant grass and hope for it to grow fast enough," according to Jim Fitzgerald of BSA. The JV field is used by the high school track, lacrosse, and soccer programs as well as by community sports programs. If town meeting approves the $8,700, the project will be done in June 2014.

Belmont Housing electrical upgrade

Belmont Village, the low income housing maintained by the Belmont Housing Authority (BHA), was built in 1949. The apartments electrical service has not been updated since. The $165,000 requested would be used to replace the electrical panel and wiring in each of the Belmont Village apartments. The current wiring is a fire hazard, according to the CPA application, and the upgrade will also better meet the electrical demands of a modern household.

Butler School playground phase II

The money for the Butler School Playground would be used to finish upgrades to the recently completed new playground at the school. The $66,000 requested would be used to pay for more lighting and signage, more trash receptacles, stump edging around the perimeter, repainting of the basketball courts and hardtop, an outdoor classroom, and improvements to the back field.

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Applications approved for seven projects at $2.73 million