Stormwater and Sewer Infrastructure Federal Grants

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of nearly $50 million in regular funding through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program to help communities address stormwater and sewer infrastructure needs.
 
States may now apply for grant assistance to fund projects that will help municipalities strengthen their stormwater collection systems against increasingly intense rain events made worse by the climate crisis and prevent contaminants from polluting waterways. The Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program will also ensure small and financially distressed communities receive grant assistance at no cost.
 
"Against the backdrop of extreme weather fueled by the climate crisis, heavy rainfall can flood communities, overload facilities that treat wastewater, and contaminate our waterways with sewage and pollution. Through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, we're providing communities with critical resources to manage stormwater and sewer overflows with resilient infrastructure to prevent these serious challenges," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. "With $50 million in grant funding and new requirements under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping address the threat of stormwater inundation in communities that need it most."
 
Stormwater management is a complex environmental challenge for communities across the country. The cost to construct, operate, and maintain stormwater infrastructure can be significant, which can strain ratepayers, especially those in small and financially distressed communities. This investment follows changes made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to prioritize projects for small and/or financially distressed communities and prevent cost share requirements from being passed on to these communities.

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With Taxes Paid, Berkshire Mall Owners Plan for Senior Housing

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

The majority of the mall will have to be demolished as the 40-year-old big box stores are not suitable because of space and condition. 

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Berkshire Mall owners have paid their town taxes and plan to transform the property into more than 400 units of housing.

JMJ Holdings is entering into the design process for a nine-figure overhaul of the shuttered mall property into 420 to 450 units of senior housing. Town Administrator Gina Dario confirmed that the full fiscal year 2025 tax balance, totaling $293,380, has been paid.

"It's basically an apartment building that's catered towards older populations, people generally in their mid-60s, and the amenities on site really cater to that lifestyle. It's kind of all comprising," Timothy Grogan of the Housing Development Corp. explained, adding that there will also be assisted living, memory care, independent living, and senior affordable housing.

Grogan was hired as a consultant to guide a feasibility study for the property.  He said there haven't been recent conversations with the town "because we're really hashing it out, we want to come to them with a fully thought-out proposal in terms of the amount of supportable units."

"I think it would be a huge boon to Berkshire County, generally, in a way that the mall used to be," he said. "We're really excited about it. We're moving forward with full steam ahead."

The feasibility study determined that there could be up to 600 units, but the project team imagines a more conservative amount between 420 and 450 units.

It is being scoped as a Low Income Housing Tax Credit project, which means that at least 20 percent of the units would need to be reserved for people at/or below 50 percent of the area median income or at least 40 percent of the units would need to made affordable for persons with incomes at/or below 60 percent of the area median income.

Grogan said conversations have been scheduled with the offices of Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and state Secretary of Housing Ed Augustus.

"Given the political importance of this property and Governor Healey's emphasis on gateway cities, we don't expect that to be such a long lead item. That being said, this is envisioned to be a phased project where we have the assisted living, active adult and independent living kind of in one bucket with affordable housing in another one," he said.

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