Greenfield Community Preservation Committee hears funding proposals for building repairs

The Franklin County Agricultural Society is seeking $17,178 in Community Preservation Act funding to stain and preserve historic cattle barns at the Franklin County Fairgrounds on Wisdom Way in Greenfield.

The Franklin County Agricultural Society is seeking $17,178 in Community Preservation Act funding to stain and preserve historic cattle barns at the Franklin County Fairgrounds on Wisdom Way in Greenfield. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

Staff Writer

Published: 01-08-2025 5:14 PM

Modified: 01-08-2025 6:24 PM


GREENFIELD — The Community Preservation Committee discussed three proposed projects — the rehabilitation of Franklin County’s first courthouse and preservation efforts at the Franklin County Fairgrounds and the Winslow Building — on Monday evening as members begin to consider projects to recommend for funding.

The state Community Preservation Act allows municipalities to adopt a property tax surcharge of up to 3%, the revenues from which are matched by state funds. Greenfield joined the CPA in 2020 with a local surcharge, allowing the city to receive state-matched funding for projects and initiatives related to housing, historic preservation, open space conservation and outdoor recreation.

Courthouse renovation

One of the three applications reviewed by the Community Preservation Committee on Monday was the Connecticut River Conservancy’s request for $45,984 to restore the former courthouse building at 15 Bank Row. Executive Director Rebecca Todd said the nonprofit finished paying its mortgage on the property this year and would benefit from use of a renovated space as it grows its staff.

“We are happy to be a part of this community and we are thrilled to have the historic building that we have,” Todd said.

Operations Manager Sam Stegeman described the former courthouse as the “beating heart” of Bank Row and presented images of its crumbling bell tower, steps, chimney bricks and doors.

Repairs to the building’s historic facade, Stegeman said, are expected to cost roughly $10,000. Other planned renovations include the addition of new windows and the conversion of a door-accessible rooftop into a patio.

“Five windows and one door of our second floor were bricked-in. We’re not sure when and we’re not sure why,” he explained. “This is going to be our conference room space. … There’s only two windows here letting light in. This could be so much better.”

When Community Preservation Committee Chair Susan Worgaftik asked Connecticut River Conservancy representatives if they had considered seeking funding from other sources to support the project, which is expected to cost roughly $350,000 in total, Todd said that the organization is “invoking a capital campaign” to raise funds.

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“We are exploring all kinds of grants right now and we will be including some of these renovations in our campaign — that’s watershed-wide. We already had donations from folks outside Massachusetts to help with this,” Todd said. “We will absolutely be looking to the entire watershed.”

Fairgrounds cattle barns

Committee members also reviewed the Franklin County Agricultural Society’s application for $17,178 to stain and preserve historic cattle barns at the Franklin County Fairgrounds on Wisdom Way.

Society President Michael Nelson mentioned that two years ago, the fairgrounds received CPA funds for the replacement of the 1910 barn’s roof — the city’s first completed CPA project.

This funding cycle, Nelson said the fairgrounds is seeking CPA funds to stain and preserve the barn’s wood — an alternative that he said is expected to be cheaper than the process of whitewashing the structure. Nelson added that the whitewashing process is no longer recommended by the state Department of Agricultural Resources.

Unlike whitewashing, which Nelson said must be redone every five years, he expects the staining method would last more than 20 years.

“[MDAR] recommended that we move into removing the existing whitewash and replace it with a white, strong, UV-resistant, weather-resistant stain, so we intend to do just that,” Nelson said. “We’d be removing the thick, thick layers of whitewash off the building that hasn’t already crumbled off and applying a brand new stain, top to bottom, inside and out, along all three cow barns in order to preserve wood and protect it from the elements.”

In total, Nelson said staining and preserving the barn is expected to cost $50,000 — with the fairgrounds covering the $32,822 bill for labor and requesting the remaining $17,178 from the Community Preservation Committee for materials and supplies like paint, tarps and dumpsters.

When Worgaftik, noting that the Franklin County Agricultural Society is a regional entity, asked Nelson if he had attempted to secure funds from any other municipalities, he responded that he had not, as he was unaware of which neighboring towns had adopted the CPA.

“The short answer is ‘no,’ just based on my lack of knowledge on the matter,” he said. “I’m certainly happy to seek other grant opportunities.”

Winslow Building

Jack Redman, executive director of the Greenfield Housing Authority, presented his request for $18,000 to repair the roof and repoint and replace bricks at the Winslow Building at 9 Wells St.

“There are two main areas that directly relate to the water tightness. The first is the roof and the second is the very large amount of the brickwork that needs to be repointed,” he said. “We would be utilizing the funding from the CPC to achieve the water tightness through the repointing.”

In addition to seeking Community Preservation Committee funds for the building’s repair, Redman is also seeking funds from other entities to enhance the Winslow Building’s social services, noting that in the last five years, the Winslow’s residents have been hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and a number of economic hurdles.

Committee Vice Chair Donna DuSell noted that unlike the applications from the Connecticut River Conservancy and Franklin County Agricultural Society, the application Redman presented did not have any letters of support attached to it. In response, committee member Garth Shaneyfelt expressed his belief that letters of support are mainly symbolic, noting that he does not wish for the committee to make its selections a “popularity contest.”

Member Becky George, on the other hand, explained that although letters of support are not the sole determining factor of an applicant’s approval, they must be considered.

Prior to the Community Preservation Committee’s vote to recommend projects for funding, which is slated for March, the committee will hold a public hearing to determine which projects to support with the city’s $193,000 in CPA funds. Recommended funding proposals must later be approved by City Council.

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.