SHELBURNE FALLS — A study of Shelburne Falls is planned that will determine if the village has enough deterioration to be eligible for Community Development Block Grants under a “slum and blight” designation.
If eligible, the block grants could help pay for parking area improvements, streetscapes and other downtown beautification efforts.
“That’s an insider term,” Linda Overing of Breezeway Farm Consulting told Buckland selectmen, who winced at the “slum and blight” tag. “We’re not trying to say the downtown is slumy and blighted, but that’s the designation we’re recommending,” she said. “It’s an insider term, but it doesn’t go to anyone else except Boston.”
“Without this paperwork designation, you’re not eligible for this grant money,” Overing explained. “They don’t give grant money to fix good things.”
Using leftover block-grant money from the North Street reconstruction last year, Franklin Regional Council of Governments will compile a study of the downtown section of Shelburne Falls, which lies in both towns of Shelburne and Buckland. The study will be completed by June 30, and will look for areas of deterioration, to justify receiving the grants.
Overing said the village got a similar grant in the 1990s, that provided money for streetscape improvements. These included the walkway along the Deerfield River and the parking area behind the Buckland Town Hall. She is scheduled to attend Monday’s Shelburne selectmen’s meeting, to discuss the study with them.
While FRCOG and Overing look to document areas that need improvement, Carmela Lanza Weil, executive director of the Greater Shelburne Falls Area Business Association, wants to renew the village’s “Cultural District” status, which the state defines as “A specific geographical area in a city or town that has a concentration of cultural facilities, activities, and assets. It is a walkable, compact area that is easily identifiable to visitors and residents and serves as a center of cultural, artistic and economic activity.”
In 2012, Shelburne Falls was designated as a Cultural District by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and received the Creative Community Award. The designation may be renewed, and village promoters believe it helps open doors to more grants and tourism.
“I can’t believe we’re talking ‘slum and blight’ and ‘cultural district’ on the same night,” Selectman Kevin Fox joked.
The community can hear about the village study on Wednesday night, April 5, at 6:30 p.m. in the Village Information Center. For more information, contact Carmela Lanza Weil at the Greater Shelburne Falls Area Business Association, at 625-2526 or by email:carmela@shelburnefalls.com.