Adams Gets Update On Top Town Projects
ADAMS, Mass. — The Visitors Center parking lot and the Memorial Building were presented Tuesday as priority projects for Community Development Block Grant funding.
Community Development Director Donna Cesan facilitated the public hearing Tuesday for current CDBG projects and other town projects to a handful of residents.
The bulk of the meeting was focused on the most immediate and prioritized project, the revamp of the Visitors Center parking lot, for which the town has already secured construction funds through CDBG.
"This has been in the works and identified as a project for almost a decade and it is important because we have been focused on this area of the downtown for some time," Cesan said. "We have been trying to maximize that area for visitation to show Adams' best face."
Cesan said the project began ramping up in 2015 when the town used $50,000 in grant funds for the design phase. The town hired Waterfield Design to draft an improved layout and, in 2017, the town received $800,000 in CDBG funds to execute the project.
She added that it is time to act now that the Ashuwilticook Rail Trail has been extended and the Adams branch of the Berkshire Scenic Railway is up and running.
"It serves the Visitors Center but increasingly we have seen people out of state using it for the rail trail and we will see more people out of state using it for the train," she said. "It is exciting stuff."
Cesan said the current state of the 120-spot lot is not ideal.
"The pavement is in very rough shape and it has been for a number of years and it is my understanding that we have been able to get 30 to 40 years out of the current pavement," she said.
She said the new design will free up space in the current "tight" lot and bring the lot and surrounding sidewalks into ADA compliance.
She added that the current plantings are also an issue.
"There will be a lot of landscaping there. Right now, we have trees that are very misshapen and they hide the lights," she said. "At night it can be hard to see out there."
She said the new landscaping will be more focused on the edges of the lot. Ddrainage will be overhauled with new environmentally friendly "deep sump catch basins."
"It actually stores stormwater for a while and then it slowly releases it," she said. "So it's better because it is holding that and it allows sediment to settle out and then release into the river."
She said the current catch basins were not designed to handle the amount of stormwater that now enters the lot and the basins are partially to blame for the deterioration.
Cesan said the project will go out to bid this spring and the town is just squaring away final design specs such as what kind of parking kiosks will be installed.
She added that there are other issues to work out such as the 40 parking spots allocated to the adjacent Adams Internists building and spots for the Council on Aging located in the Visitors Center.
Cesan said the entire project is $890,000, which she noted did sound like a lot.
"I know it sounds ridiculous but keep in mind we are removing pavement, repaving, adding new lighting, benches and new sidewalks," she said. "It adds up."
Even though the town is not funding the project, some residents felt the money should go toward other projects in town. But others were on board.
"People want very convenient parking and down the road, we will need more parking with everything around the area," resident George Haddad said.
Cesan had the Memorial Building next on her list and recommended that the town apply to receive up to $550,000 in CDBG funds to install a new heating and air conditioning system in the building.
"It is an asset that I don't think we should take lightly," she said. "The building is in good shape and what it needs if we want to have games there and use the gym or auditorium is an HVAC system."
The former school that was closed some years ago has been a controversial subject in town with some set on minimally maintaining the building while getting some use out of it while others advocate for giving the building away or totally shutting it down.
Cesan said the building could be a true community center that could house the Council on Aging as well as be a more centralized and appropriate place to vote and hold town meeting.
It is also the town's emergency shelter.
She added that different organizations have asked to use the facility and the HVAC would allow that to happen.
The town used $600,000 in CDBG funds received in 2012 to completely repair the roof. Cesan said the envelope of the building has been buttoned up and it is structurally sound.
Some residents were hesitant to make an investment in the building because they thought it would continue to sit vacant.
Cesan said beyond being used as a community center there has been recent private interest in the building.
"We have had some interest from the private sector over the years but it has been lukewarm," she said. "But I think the economy is improving and over the last couple of months we have seen interest."
Although the Selectmen haven't officially approved the grant application, Selectwoman Christin Hoyt, who attended the meeting, has come out in favor of soliciting funds for the HVAC.
She added that without the HVAC it may be harder to attract developers.
"The HVAC system has been the kiss of death for any developer that has looked at the building over the years," she said. "It has great bones and everything is solid but not having an HVAC is a huge price tag for a developer."
Resident Francie Anne Riley added that currently, the Visitors Center seems to act as the town's community center and if the Memorial Building was useable and the Council on Aging moved there, it would completely free up the Visitors Center to really be a visitors center.
Even Haddad, who has been a proponent of just getting rid of the former school building, said his mind has been changed and the building could be a true asset.
"I know I have been a stickler on that building but I must say after talking to Donna … I see potential especially if we can get a developer in there," he said. "This could be a great move for us."
Cesan also discussed other projects including the Greylock Glen and the Berkshire Scenic Railway platform, however, these projects were less immediate. The contract for the platform has already been awarded and should be completed this spring.
Tags: CDBG,
