Amherst officials want to improve conditions of north section of Town Common.
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Visitors to the annual Extravaganja Festival soak in the sun on the Amherst Town Common.
AMHERST — Last year, the town struck gold, receiving a $208,320 state parkland grant to repair the War Memorial Pool.
This year, the town was not as lucky. The town applied for a two-year Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities grant to repair a section of the Town Common but did not receive funding. The state announced Wednesday that projects in Northampton, Springfield, Ware, Holyoke and Agawam were funded.
Town Meeting had approved $15,000 in community preservation money for the project to repair the North Common, contingent on the town receiving $143,672 from the state.
The town sought a two-year design-build grant that would have allowed the town to hire a professional designer to prepare appropriate plans. The town wants to make the space safer and more accessible. Musante said when state officials inspected the site, one of them had tripped on a tree root.
. Improvements would have the common offer flexible space suitable for more programs while retaining the historic integrity of the landscape.
“From the state, they have told us it was a very competitive application,” Town Manager John P. Musante said. “It’s tough to get two in a row like that.”
State officials encouraged the town to apply again next year. “They thought it was worthy,” he said.
Officials were told, “it could be even stronger with some additional community input,” he said.
He said town staff “will do some sort of brainstorming about potential design elements” with community suggestions.
Musante said he wants to repair what is called the North Common because “it’s prominent. It’s the front steps of the town.”
Musante said the town won’t do much to fix it up without the grant funding. “We want to do it right.”
