GREENFIELD — The Olive Street parking garage project will be receiving additional funds for its construction, though the amount is less than half of what the city had asked for.
The Greenfield City Council Wednesday voted to approve $250,000 in excess money from FEMA reimbursements to be repurposed for the Olive Street parking garage, after the project had found its way over its $10 million budget. The $250,000 is less than half of what Mayor Bill Martin asked for however, which was $529,271.
According to Martin, the project had “nearly exhausted all of the owner’s contingency,” which he said was about $600,000, and that the project is still roughly $139,000 over its $10 million budget.
The reasons for being over budget, according to Martin, have included subterranean utility work and relocation of utilities, which was happening at a depth between 20 and 22 feet, as well as the discovery of a former livery stable stone foundation about 20 feet in depth, which had to be removed.
However, Martin noted that most risk is now mitigated and the majority of work will happen above ground on the project.
“We feel that 80 percent of the risk has been removed now that we are above the ground,” he said.
The funding is coming from FEMA reimbursement related to damage done by Hurricane Irene in 2011. According to an article from the Recorder in January, by the time the money was reimbursed the city had borrowed money for repair projects.
According to Town Accountant Elizabeth Braccia during the Ways and Means meeting, the city is paying on the money currently, since it was bonded for. In order to use the funds, they must be used for a long-term project of 20 years or longer, she noted.
The approval came following a Ways and Means Committee vote before the full council meeting, which carried a three-to-two negative recommendation to approve the original amount asked.
During the full council meeting, Precinct 3 Councilor Brickett Allis — who cast one of the negative recommendations in Ways and Means — recommended an amendment lowering the total to $250,000.
This was also suggested when Martin addressed the council earlier in the meeting.
According to Allis, the budget set for the project was $10 million, and while he acknowledged that issues may arise, the city needs “to live within our budget” on the project.
Allis also noted during the Ways and Means meeting that the project could be done without “frills” to lower cost. “I understand we want this to be this beautiful Taj Mahal of parking garages,” he said during Ways and Means. “But it’s a parking garage.”
At-Large Councilor Ashli Stempel, who voted in favor of the full amount during Ways and Means, spoke in favor of it during the full council meeting, noting that there should be additional contingency money in place.
“This is not a result of any irresponsibility on the town’s behalf,” she said. “It’s irresponsible to have no contingency.”
According to Martin, the $250,000 approved will still allow for about $111,000 for contingency purposes.
Martin noted that with the reduced funding, the garage would lose additions that would help with “reducing the image and hiding the image of a parking garage” that could match the facility with surrounding architecture. These items include spandrels and mesh screening.