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Our Common Backyards Grant Application Our Common Backyards Application Form FY 2014 Please print double-sided Please fasten application package with a binder clip, no three-ring or plastic binders! Municipality: City of Northampton Contact Person: Ann-Marie Moggio______________________________________________ Agency: Northampton Recreation Department___________________________________ Address: 90 Locust Street_________________________________________________________ Northampton, MA________________________________________________________________ Zip 01060______________________ Telephone (413)587-1043 Fax (413)587-1044 Email: amoggio@northamptonma.gov Please note: the contact person is the official representative for this project, usually not the chief municipal officer. Attach certification of: The Chief Executive Officer’s legal authorization to execute contracts. This is a resolution, motion, or similar action that has been duly adopted or passed as an official act of the community's governing body that authorizes the filing of the applications, including all understandings and assurances contained therein (this is not a DCS form to be completed); and 1/22/2014 __________________________________________________ Date Signature of Chief Municipal Officer David J. Narkewicz, Mayor______________________ Name and Title (Typed) To January 2018_________________________________ Duration of Term Mailing Address: 210 Main Street______________________________ Northampton, MA 01060______________________ Telephone: (413) 587-1249________________________________ Proposed Project Description #1 (NOTE: We request funding for two sites; 50% of the grant for each.) Project name #1: Lampron Park Proposed project completion year: Calendar 2014/Fiscal Year 2015 (Design in FY2014)  Type of project: Playground Spray Park  Project address: Bridge Street at Parsons Street, Northampton Project acreage: 1 acre Is the property permanently dedicated for park, playground, or recreation purposes (MGL Chapter 45, Section 3 or 14)? If not, please submit draft dedication language for DCS review as all projects must be dedicated for park, playground, or recreation purposes. Yes No  Dedicated language has been approved by DCS and has been submitted to City Council for approval (attached). Briefly describe the proposed project. Overview: We are proposing to split the grant and our local match to serve two critically needed playgrounds, one to serve the primary gap in how we serve our dense downtown with its large environmental justice population (Lampron Park) and one to serve our new recreation complex and the very large number of youth who flock there, as well as to serve nearby environmental justice populations (Florence Recreation Fields). Proposed work: We propose a new playground, with some accessible playground equipment, a safe soft surface, a fence, and landscaping at Lampron Park. The site has been identified but the exact equipment will be selected in a collaborative design process with the neighborhood within walking distance of the site (which includes downtown) and with the nearby elementary school neighborhood which draws from a larger area. Site location: The proposed playground will fill a major gap in Northampton’s urban playgrounds (see Locus Plan, right). We have smaller playgrounds downtown, on the north side of downtown and the southwest side of downtown, but no public playgrounds on the east side of downtown, serving some of the densest housing in the city. Locus Plan The playground will be situated on the western side of Lampron Park to keep it the maximum distance from heavily traveled and noisy Bridge Street, and separated from the street by a fence. (See Site Plan, right.) This location will allow it to serve the immediate neighborhood, with dense housing, downtown Northampton, and the adjacent Bridge Street School. Environmental Justice Neighborhood: The playground is not within an EJ neighborhood but it is located in adjacent to several nearby environmental justice neighborhoods and is within easy walking distance of the some of the city’s highest concentrations of poverty and minority status. In addition, the playground will also serve the adjacent Bridge Street School, with its very high EJ population. (There are already some playgrounds within our EJ neighborhoods.) Environmental equity: There are no other playgrounds close to Lampron Park that serve the same population. We use a walking distance of 2,100 feet as the maximum distance that most people will use to walk to a community playground. There are no playgrounds within this distance of the Lampron Park. The nearest equally high quality playground, Jackson Street School, is 6,500 feet away. The nearest urban playgrounds, Agnes Fox Fields and Pulaski Park, are 2,800 and 3,100 feet away, respectectively. Tree planting: The site is will be designed this spring, as soon as we get the final approval for the Our Common Backyards Program. We estimate that we will plant five shade trees as part of the project and additional shrubbery to soften the appearance of the fence we will install on the site. State Priority Development or Preservation Areas: Not relevant to this project. Open Space and Recreation Plan: This project will serve several recommendations from our plan: Page 144: “Meet special needs of… environmental justice populations and the needs of those with disabilities.” Page 147: “Add parks, greenspace…on city-owned land…to keep urban and village centers attractive.” Page 149: “Maximum use of recreation space with affordable and quality programs for youth…Make capital improvements…of recreation facilities…provide …recreation opportunities for individuals of all ages, socioeconomic levels, and physical abilities… Page 149: “Use open space and recreation to ensure that the urban and village centers are attractive places to live, work, and visit.” Page 159: “Having sufficient land for active recreation is critical to helping create healthy lifestyles. Project budget: Preferred--Lampron Park receives 50% of funds (see also Florence Fields in Project #2) Our Common Backyards CPA & donations Total Design $ 12,500 $ 12,500 Construction: playground, surface, fence, $ 87,500 $ 25,000 $112,500 landscaping Total $100,000 $ 25,000 $125,000 Alternative: Lampron Park receives 100% of funds Our Common Backyards CPA & donations Total Design $ 20,000 $ 20,000 Construction (playground, surface, fence, $180,000 $ 50,000 $230,000 landscaping) Total $200,000 $ 50,000 $250,000 Proposed Project Description #2 (NOTE: We request funding for two sites; 50% of the grant for each.) Project name #2: Florence Recreation Fields Proposed project completion year: Calendar 2014/Fiscal Year 2015 (Design in FY2014)  Type of project: Playground Spray Park  Project address: Meadow Street and Spring Street, village of Florence, Northampton Project acreage: 24 acres Is the property permanently dedicated for park, playground, or recreation purposes (MGL Chapter 45, Section 3 or 14)? If not, please submit draft dedication language for DCS review as all projects must be dedicated for park, playground, or recreation purposes. Yes No  Briefly describe the proposed project. Overview: We are proposing to split the grant and our local match to serve two critically needed playgrounds, one to serve the primary gap in how we serve our dense downtown with its large environmental justice population (Lampron Park) and one to serve our new recreation complex and the very large number of youth who flock there, as well as to serve nearby environmental justice populations (Florence Recreation Fields). Proposed work: Our Common Backyards will pay for a new playground, with some accessible playground equipment, a safe soft surface, and landscaping at Florence Recreation Fields. The site was set aside for a playground as part of the development of a recreation complex, but to date there has not been funds to develop the playground. The exact equipment will be selected in a collaborative design process with the neighborhood within walking distance of the site and with the various recreation leagues and their families that use the site. Site location: The proposed playground will serve what will become the most heavily used recreation area in the city. This will be the city’s first large playgrounds at any recreation area where league sports take place and at Locus Plan the same time it will also serve the nearby neighborhoods (see Locus Plan, right). The playground will be situated on the southerly side of Florence Recreation Fields to keep it the closest distance of immediately adjacent scattered site affordable housing, a nearby larger public housing complex, the Florence Community Gardens, and the shortest distance from the village of Florence. (See Site Plan, right.) This location will allow it to serve the immediate neighborhoods and also serve families using other facilities at the Florence Recreation Fields. Environmental Justice Neighborhood: The playground is not within an EJ neighborhood but it immediately adjacent to scattered site affordable housing and a long walk from a larger public housing project that is isolated from any other park and playground in the city (both sites owned by the Northampton Housing Authority). In addition, the league sports that will also be at Florence Recreation Fields serve the Northampton EJ populations. Environmental equity: There are no other playgrounds close to Florence Recreation Fields. The nearest high quality playground, Look Park, is 7,200 feet away. Other small playgrounds, Maines Field being the closest, are not much closer at 5,200 feet. Tree planting: The site is will be designed this spring, as soon as we get the final approval for the Our Common Backyards Program. We estimate that we will plant five shade trees as part of the project. State Priority Development or Preservation Areas: Not relevant to this project. Open Space and Recreation Plan: This project will serve several recommendations from our plan: Page 144: “Meet special needs of… environmental justice populations and the needs of those with disabilities.” Page 147: “Add parks, greenspace…on city-owned land…to keep urban and village centers attractive.” Page 149: “Maximum use of recreation space with affordable and quality programs for youth…Make capital improvements…of recreation facilities…provide …recreation opportunities for individuals of all ages, socioeconomic levels, and physical abilities… Page 149: “Use open space and recreation to ensure that the urban and village centers are attractive places to live, work, and visit.” Page 159: “Having sufficient land for active recreation is critical to helping create healthy lifestyles. Page 160: “Developing [Florence] recreation area, consistent with the 2010 Berkshire Design Master Plan, is the top recreation priority for the City.” Project budget: Preferred—Florence Fields receives 50% of funds (see also Lampron Park in Project #1) Our Common Backyards CPA & donations Total Design $ 12,500 $ 12,500 Construction: playground, surface, $ 87,500 $ 25,000 $112,500 landscaping Total $100,000 $ 25,000 $125,000 Alternative: Florence Fields receives 100% of funds Our Common Backyards CPA & donations Total Design $ 20,000 $ 20,000 Construction (playground, surface, $180,000 $ 50,000 $230,000 landscaping) Total $200,000 $ 50,000 $250,000 Attachment: City Council order to permanently dedicate Lampron Park for parks and recreation and to fund both projects in anticipation of state reimbursement (after contract is approved). February 6, 2014 Upon the recommendation of Mayor Narkewicz BE IT ORDERED WHEREAS, The Open Space and Recreation Plan: 2011-2018 recommends expanding Recreation opportunities throughout the City; and WHEREAS, The Massachusetts Our Common Backyards Grant provides up to $200,000 reimbursement for playground and splash park improvements and is a reimbursement program which requires that the City demonstrate that it has all of the funds necessary to make the required improvements; and WHEREAS, The City’s priorities are developing a new playgrounds at Lampron Park, off Bridge Street near downtown, and at Florence Recreation Fields, near Florence; and WHEREAS, The grant will require up to a $50,000 local match, for which Community Preservation Funds are being applied for; WHEREAS, Transferring Lampron Park, located off Bridge Street and Parsons Street, to the care and custody of the Recreation will ensure that it is permanently protected for parks and recreation purposes, consistent with Open Space, Recreation and Multi-Use Plan: 2011-2018, and create new eligibility for grant improvements to the parks; and WHEREAS, Any transfer of Lampron Park will leave out the small portion of land on Parsons Street that is not part of the active park and that is needed for a safe school bus loop; and WHEREAS, Florence Recreation Fields is already under the jurisdiction of the Northampton Recreation Commission and is already permanently dedicated to park and recreation purposes; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDERED, That the Mayor is authorized to transfer the fee title and the care and custody of Lampron Park, excepting a small portion along Parsons Street, to the City of Northampton through its Recreation Commission for park and recreation purposes, under the provisions of MGL Chapter 45, Section 14, Northampton City Ordinance 22-60, and consistent with Article 97 of the Amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution. Further, that City Council appropriates and authorizes the City Treasurer, with the approval of the Mayor, to borrow $250,000, under M.G.L. c.44 §8C, or any other enabling authority, for the purpose of developing new playgrounds at Lampron Park and/or the Florence Fields Recreation Area; Further that the Recreation Commission is authorized to file on behalf of the City of Northampton any and all applications deemed necessary for grants and /or reimbursements from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts deemed necessary under the Our Common Backyards Program and/or any others in any way connected with the scope of this Article, and the Northampton Recreation Commission and the Mayor be authorized to enter into all agreements and execute any and all instruments as may be necessary on behalf of the City of Northampton to affect said improvements. That any other grants and donations be allowed to be accepted and expended for these playground purposes.