If approved, most of the money would go towards rebuilding road and sidewalks on High St., a quarter-mile street near downtown.
Karen M. Cullen WARE – Selectmen Tuesday unanimously said yes to a block grant proposal totaling $939,917.33 prepared by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
The lion's share, if approved, would go toward rebuilding road and sidewalks on High Street, a quarter-mile street near downtown. In recent years, town planners and the PVPC have focused on neighborhoods in that vicinity and money to fix other residential streets and sidewalks has come through.
“The strategy we have adopted, attacking these areas street by street, has been a winning strategy,” Selectmen's Chairman Greg Harder said.
PVPC planner Christopher Dunphy, who attended the Jan. 28 selectmen’s meeting, said the grant stands a good chance of getting approved.
“We feel this is a good” plan, Dunphy said. “I feel reasonably confident” it will get approved. The money is being targeted for “one of the oldest neighborhoods in Ware,” he said.
The proposal also requests $42,500 to conduct an engineering study to determine the best way to rebuild the road and sidewalks on nearby Prospect Street, $35,000 for domestic violence prevention, and $105,000 for the PVPC to administer the grant.
The application asks for $140,000 for private home rehabilitation for three units, and for adult learning activities.
The Ware director of planning and community development, Karen Cullen, said there are currently 40 Ware homeowners on a waiting list for the private home rehab money via the block grant.
A year ago, Ware was awarded money allowing 10 homeowners to use up to $35,000 to fix their property.
According to Dunphy, there is less block grant money for the government to disburse.
He said Ware used to be eligible for $1 million each year, and that has now been reduced to $1.35 million every two years.