The Community Preservation Act Committee presented to the Finance Committee six recommendations its members believe should be funded.

A summary of the recommendations follows. To view the complete report, see it here.

Scott Tower/Anniversary Hill  
• Recommendation: $100,000
• Project Description: This project is a continuation of Phase I of the previously funded project to restore and revitalize Anniversary Hill Park and Scott Tower. CPA funds for Phase I covered the cost of the acquisition and protection of 14.1 acres and site planning.

GloutakWoods Trail Improvements  
• Recommendation: $46,000
• Project Description: This project will fund much-needed trail improvements and invasive species removal. It will build on the previous FY22 CPA project by funding three additional trails reroutes, the construction of a timber staircase, and the closure of points of access that bring in illegal ATV trespass.

Jones Point Park
• Recommendation: $32,500
• Project Description: This project will fund a boundary survey and master plan for future recreational improvements to Jones Point Park, located in Ward 7 on Cleveland
Street and Oxford Road. The park sits along the Connecticut River and includes a wooded area with trails, some parking, and sufficient open space to install more amenities.

Wistariahurst Museum
• Recommendation: $95.000
• Project Description: This is a three-part project which will fund an in-depth
engineering survey of the Wistariahurst Museum’s main house and carriage house, specifically detailing the overall condition of the building with a focus on the masonry work needed.The engineering survey will help inform the depth and breadth of future work.

City Hall Clerk Basement Document Recovery Project
• Request: $9,900
• Project: This project would remove, restore and inventory more than thirty unique historic journals and ledgers stored in City Hall basement for 50-100 or more years.
These documents provide vital primary source information about individual Holvoke residents and City departments in a forgotten chapter of Holyoke’s history.

Wright Block / 106-120 High Street
• Project: This project will make possible the extensive restoration of a set of four
buildings on High Street located in the North High Street Historic District. The restoration will be done on the exterior facade of the building, including the installation
of new National Park Service-approved historic windows, masonry work, and the
installation of a new accessible ramp entrance and door into a storefront that is
currently inaccessible.

All the documents related to the Finance Committee can be seen here.

The Development and Government Relations Committee also met. State Rep. Pat Duffy and state Sen. John Velis attended the meeting, as a response to a request by the committee.

“We know you’re both very busy and so we appreciate you for coming before us to just give us an update on what you’ve been working on and what the year ahead looks like for you all,” said Councilor Tessa Murphy Romboletti, chair of the committee.

And finally, after an hour of discussion, the Ordinance Committee decided to recommend to the full City Council the matter of extending a special permit, with the additional necessary paperwork, for f Four Trees Holyoke LLC to operate a dispensary and cultivation establishment at 1 Cabot Street.

The business owners did not meet the deadline to open their business on account of the pandemic, which triggered a nationwide slowdown in the world economy. The federal government did extend monetary help to cannabis-centered businesses.

“I would say that exceptional circumstances of the COVID pandemic, the funding challenges that resulted in an ownership change that is in process” were contributing factors to the missed deadline for opening the business, said Councilor Linda Vacon, chair of the Ordinance Committee.

The documents councilors were provided for this meeting can be seen here.