In 2020, Greenfield voters adopted the state law that allows up to a 3% property tax surcharge to fund Community Preservation Act projects. I was one of 61% of the Greenfield voters who supported adopting a 1% CPA surcharge, which as of 2025 has funded 26 projects totaling $793,162.
For 2026, 11 CPA applications totaling $666,456 were submitted — 84% of the total awarded in the first three years of the Greenfield CPA. Funding requests are 2.5 times greater than the $262,200 available for funding. Deep cuts will be needed: $404,256 in funding requested must be slashed — roughly 61% of funding sought.
The three largest requests were: $150,000 submitted by Rural Development, Inc (RDI), $120,000 from the Franklin Community Co-op, and $100,000 from Greenfield Housing Associates, Inc, (GHAI.
Tomorrow night, March 19, the CPA Committee will hold a 5 p.m. hearing at the Zon Center to take comments on 2026 proposals. On March 26, the committee meets at 5 p.m. at the Zon to prepare recommendations to the City Council.
The 9-member CPA committee includes four members who will be hearing proposals from groups they belong to:
- A member who sits on the board of the Greenfield Housing Associates, Inc, and was a board member of the Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority, which created RDI.
- A member who works for the Greenfield Housing authority and also is a clerk on the GHAI Board.
- A member of the Greenfield Conservation Committee.
- A member of the Greenfield Recreation Committee.
Even if these members believe they have no conflict or bias towards their own group’s proposals, they should refrain from commenting or voting on all proposals submitted.
In early March, I submitted the CPA Committee’s online citizen comment survey. Here are my suggestions for seven of the 2026 applications:
- Project #2 Former Wilson’s Building Facade Restoration. Applicant: Franklin Community Coop. CPA request: $120,000
As one of 5,700 food coop members, I support this request. My family loaned the Coop $2,000 to renovate the ground floor of the former Wilson’s department store into an expanded grocery store. For over 30 years Green Fields Market has been a major downtown anchor.
- Project #4 Bank Row Window & Facade Restoration. Applicant: Spike Segundo, LLC (Jordi Herold). CPA request: $65,000.
This project subsidizes one private landlord of a project that has received significant public subsidies since it opened in 2010. The landlord wants to upgrade three Bank Row properties, which have a total assessed value of $1.36 million, including 6 residential units and 8 commercial units. The applicant says: “We would not be able to proceed as submitted without the full CPA 57% request being met.” The landlord should finance these window and façade repairs using the rentals and taxpayer subsidies received over the past decade and a half.
- Project #6 CPA 176 Main Street Housing: Applicant: Rural Development, Inc. (RDI) CPA request: $150,000.
The total cost of 32 housing units is $24 million. RDI already received $50,000 from the CPA for pre-development work. It wants $150,000 more from the CPA this year plus $150,000 from taxpayers next year. More private funding/tax credits from other sources should be a higher priority than repeated subsidies from CPA. This project destroys four street-level storefronts downtown and builds a 4-story box building.
- Project #7 Two third-floor attic studio apartments on Deerfield Street. Applicant:Greenfield Housing Associates, Inc. (GHAI) CPA request: $100,000
I would not fund this project. GHAI owns a multifamily property located on Deerfield Street. It needs $645,000 to create two third-floor attic studios. That’s a lot to pay for units largely inaccessible to elderly/ disabled tenants.
- Project #8 Security Deposit and Rental Assistance Fund. Applicant: Greenfield Housing Authority. CPA request: $30,000.
I supported this project last year, which was funded. This project provides cash to individuals, so why was a request for the Elderly and Disabled Task Force ruled out by the CPA committee without a legal opinion? I’d rather use $30,000 to see 15 low-income homeowners not lose their home at tax title auctions.
- Project #9 Greenfield Conservation Fund. Applicant: Greenfield Conservation Commission. CPA request: $50,000.
If the city’s Conservation Commission wants reserve funding for future open space projects… to purchase conservation land or assist with donations of conservation land, let them come to the City Council when they have a specific proposal.
- Project #11 Beacon Field Enhancements. Applicant: Greenfield Recreation Department. CPA request: $8,730.
For “two sets of concrete cornhole boards, a concrete ladder ball, and a concrete chess table,” instead approach a few private corporations to underwrite this project.
Al Norman’s Pushback column is published in the Recorder every first and third Wednesday of the month.