Cheshire to Pursue Blight Removal Grant
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Selectmen have agreed to apply for a District Local Technical Assistance through the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to identify processes and possible funding to remove dilapidated homes.
Town Administrator Mark Webber recommended to the board last week that they team up with Hinsdale and through BRPC apply for a grant that will provide guidance to remove blight in the community.
"This will layout and identify funding sources but this isn’t a lifesaving kind of thing," Webber said. "We know the process … this would just codify the process."
Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said she was not interested in the program if it would force the town to identify and condemn blight that they will have to tear down.
"If we deem a house condemned we are then responsible for it and if we don't get any money then we have to flip the bill and tear it down," Francesconi said. "It can cost between $40,000 to $100,000 and we are responsible for finding housing for those who lived in the condemned house."
Selectman Paul Astorino said he would rather try to repair the homes through grants than rip them down at a higher expense.
Selectman Robert Ciskowski noted that the program seemed "watered down" and would only look at new procedures and identify funding sources that may help the town bring down blight easier.
Webber said the program would not commit the town to anything.
Ciskowski added that according to the Master Plan Survey and the Master Plan Committee many residents are concerned about the blight.
"The Master Plan Committee is very concerned with the image and we want to make Cheshire desirable to other families who might want to come live here," he said. "Honestly it is more of an issue with people than I really thought it was."
Webber added that the other option would be to use the program to draft a marijuana dispensary bylaw.
"We have no bylaws for that and like anything else with the absence of a bylaw someone could come in without much trouble," he said.
In other business, the Selectmen appointed Master Plan Committee members Peter Traub, Eileen Quinn and Edmund St. John IV to the Community Development Strategy Committee. The town had to create the committee in order to apply for the housing rehabilitation grant program.
The week before, the Selectmen agreed to go forward with the state housing rehabilitation program after BRPC representatives discussed some of the finer details of the program that would allow residents to use grant money to make improvements to their homes.
BRPC said the deadline for the application is March 10 and the town can apply to up to $800,000.
If the town receives a grant, BRPC will administer the grant.
Webber said he has already received inquiries about the program from residents and he said both the town and BRPC are compiling a waiting list.
There will be a master plan public forum Thursday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. at the elementary school auditorium.
Tags: blight, BRPC,
