SHELBURNE — The Community Preservation Committee is recommending voters fund four projects, including replacing an elementary school playground and replacing the Arms Library elevator, for a total of $154,000, at this year’s Annual Town Meeting.

If approved, the projects will represent the first pool of funding allocated since the majority of Shelburne voters voted in November 2022 to adopt the Community Preservation Act and the associated 3% surcharge on property taxes to fund community preservation projects.

The Community Preservation Committee, the creation of which was approved by Annual Town Meeting voters in May 2024, voted last week to recommend funding a new playground at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School, replacing the elevator at Arms Library, putting up a bulletin board at Cowell Gymnasium and restoring gravestones at Hill Cemetery.

The elementary school is seeking to replace its three playgrounds, which are geared toward students in different grade levels. The structures are more than 35 years old and have many broken elements. The school has been working with its Parent-Teacher Organization to raise money to replace the playgrounds, which are estimated to cost $300,000.

The Community Preservation Committee voted unanimously to support fully funding the PTO’s request for $100,000 to replace one of the three playgrounds. Board members said having a safe playground is essential not only so students can play during recess, but so parents and caregivers can have a place to bring their children after school and on weekends. Members also noted they appreciate that the school has initiated its own fundraising efforts and does not plan to rely solely on CPA funds to complete the project.

“I think it’s a really good community resource,” Community Preservation Committee member Carolyn Wheeler said, “and they’ve worked hard to get a lot of other funding to match this and seem really responsible about seeing this project through to its completion.”

Committee members also voted to recommend $45,000 to complete the replacement of the library elevator. At last year’s Annual Town Meeting, voters approved transferring $55,000 from the town’s housing trust fund to pay for half of the elevator replacement.

“It’s something that makes the library a lot more accessible to handicapped people that can’t use the stairs,” Community Preservation Committee member Jennifer Hale said.

The committee is also recommending $8,000 be allocated to the Hill Cemetery Commissioners to complete a gravestone restoration project and $1,000 be allocated to Cowell Gym for the installation of a bulletin board.

Committee members said the projects will help preserve town history and help promote community engagement by giving residents a space to share information about what is going on at the gym and throughout town.

“It’s the oldest cemetery in the town and I believe it’s a town-owned cemetery,” Wheeler said. “They’ve done some work on restoring the gravestones, and this $8,000 will complete that project to renovate the gravestones and get them back into shape.”

With the positive recommendations from the committee, the four projects are expected to head to Annual Town Meeting this year for final approval, once the warrant is set by the Selectboard. Town Meeting will be held Tuesday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.