15 projects recommended for community preservation funds in Springfield – MassLive.com

SPRINGFIELD A citizen committee is recommending that 15 projects receive a total of approximately $1.5 million to improve historic properties, parks and open space, and community housing.

Robert McCarroll, chairman of the Springfield Community Preservation Committee, said the projects were chosen from among 25 applications for 2020. The grants are funded annually by a local property surtax approved by voters in 2016.

You can see they are peppered across the city, which is one of our goals, McCarroll said. I think its a good broad section.

The funds can be used for purposes including the acquisition, creation and preservation of open space, recreational land, historic resources and community housing.

The recommendations will be forwarded to Mayor Domenic Sarno and the City Council in September, McCarroll said. Any project funded will need council approval, but the projects first need to be recommended by the citizen committee.

The following 15 projects are recommended for funds:

The committee is scheduled to meet again Sept. 1 to finalize the grant amount for the Trinity House project.

The city has approximately $2.1 million in community preservation funds this year, including this years allotment and unused funds from the past year, McCarroll said.

Ten other applications were considered but were not recommended this year. Some were ineligible or deemed low-priority, and others were encouraged to apply in a future year, McCarroll said.

Last year, the committee recommended projects for funding totaling $1.7 million, approved by the council last September.

Local organizations, nonprofit groups and city departments annually apply for the funds.

Related Content:

Go here to see the original:
15 projects recommended for community preservation funds in Springfield - MassLive.com