LEVERETT — Funding for a new nature trail and park associated with the historic North Leverett Sawmill will be decided at Annual Town Meeting this spring, but no money will go toward a rehabilitation planning grant for the 200-year-old Moore’s Corner Schoolhouse.
After extensive discussion at its meeting last week, the Community Preservation Committee tabled a $74,400 request from the Leverett Historical Society for the schoolhouse due to concerns that the proper manner for obtaining a conditions assessment report had not been followed.
Committee member Steve Ball said identifying a consultant to examine the building should go through a request for proposals (RFP) process, but the Historical Society had not identified a scope of work.
The concern is that if the planning grant were awarded, the Historical Society wouldn’t have a good plan for fixing up the 1816 building.
Chair Danielle Barshak said a defined scope of work and more bidders should be sought for the conditions assessment report, similar to what Leverett Crafts & Arts did before starting work at that Leverett center location.
The panel did, though, support the $82,082 sought by Friends of the Leverett Sawmill members Cynthia Baldwin and Sam Black to develop the Heritage Park and Nature Trail on 2.6 acres next to the 18th century Slarrow sawmill.
This would also serve as an extension of trails and interpretative signs through the neighboring 2 acres of town land, managed by the Conservation Commission.
“I think it’s an exciting project and needs to advance to Town Meeting,” member Ann Tweedy said.
Committee member Steve Freedman said the project will take a wild and beautiful area of North Leverett and open it up to the public.
“This, to me, is right on the money,” Freedman said.
While member Apple Ahearn said there is community concern about removing 150-year-old trees, the Conservation Commission will handle oversight of the project.
The meeting wrapped up the committee’s work in advance of the April 29 Annual Town Meeting. Previously, the board supported using $81,000 so that Kestrel Land Trust can move forward with a Conservation Partnership state grant for what will be known as the Heronemus Forest Conservation Project, and rejected $101,400 for the $4.7 million track and field project at Amherst-Pelham Regional High School, in part due to the expected use of synthetic turf.