GREENFIELD — The Community Preservation Committee reviewed two applications related to housing and one for historical preservation last week as it continues to review potential recipients of fiscal year 2025 funding.

The state Community Preservation Act allows municipalities to adopt a property tax surcharge of up to 3%, the revenues from which are matched by state funds. Greenfield joined the CPA in 2020 with a 1% local surcharge, allowing the city to receive state-matched funding for projects and initiatives related to housing, historic preservation, open space conservation and outdoor recreation.

Of the 12 applications seeking a total of $298,523, the committee discussed Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity’s plans to build an energy-efficient home on Birch Street, design and construction of a water treatment system for a proposed housing development at Stone Farm Lane, and the preservation of materials in the Greenfield Public Library’s Local History Room.

Stone Farm Lane development

Noble Home, an architectural design firm based in Shelburne Falls, presented a housing-related proposal to the Community Preservation Committee, requesting $18,000 for a greywater collection system for its proposed 24-unit condominium development at Stone Farm Lane.

Noble Home owner Noah Grunburg addressed the committee, noting that the installation of a greywater treatment system would serve as a more ecological and practical method of water treatment. According to Noble Home’s application, the project is a pilot approved by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.

“It’s collecting water from sinks, showers, washing machines, so forth, and treating it in a more ecological manner than just putting it back into the sewer system or a septic system,” Grunburg said. “By keeping additional water out of the sewer system, we can reduce the load on the treatment system itself and also reduce chances of combined sewage overflows, which are frequent when there are flooding events.”

Grunburg explained that if the condos were to be connected to a greywater system, it might not completely eliminate the need for connection to the city’s sewer system, as blackwater, or water from toilet flushing, would most likely require a sewer connection. He said that even though composting toilets exist and there are other biological agents that are capable of organically disposing of blackwater, they are costly and difficult to permit in Massachusetts.

“Massachusetts only allows certain models [of composting toilets] that are very expensive ... so that’s not even on the table with this project,” he said. “We will be using sewer, but depending on how expensive the system is, we will be reducing [the sewer burden] by 500 to 1,000 gallons a day.”

Birch Street housing

Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Megan McDonough addressed the committee regarding an application for $15,000 in CPA funds to help build a two-bedroom affordable house on Birch Street.

The project, which is expected to cost $304,500, would create an energy-efficient home to be sold to homebuyers earning less than 60% of the area median income, according to Habitat for Humanity’s application. The home will also be deed-restricted to maintain its affordability.

“We’re currently working on the architectural design and the pre-development planning so we can build that home,” McDonough said. “We would appreciate the assistance of the city for the construction funds.”

McDonough said the design follows Habitat for Humanity’s project on Petty Plain Road, which began construction in July and is expected to be complete in the spring.

Community Preservation Committee Chair Susan Worgaftik, noting that she heard debris from the previous house was dumped into the foundation, asked how that might impact the project. In response, McDonough clarified that an environmental assessment of the lot confirmed that a permit was pulled for the demolition of the house.

“Until we go to dig the foundation, we wouldn’t know exactly what they left,” McDonough said. “The Phase I environmental assessment didn’t raise any concern about underground oil tanks or other forms of contamination.”

Greenfield Public Library Local History Room

Pitching a CPA funding request for $7,000 to preserve materials kept inside the Greenfield Public Library’s Local History Room, Library Director Anna Bognolo explained that the rare books, maps and printed materials kept in the local history area of the library are now accessible to the public and must be protected and preserved.

“We have a purpose-built, climate-controlled Local History Room. … We are getting quite a lot of use of the section from both people local and afar,” Bognolo said. “A lot of the materials are one of a kind and old and falling apart. … We feel that this is a really good opportunity with that beautiful space and with the interest of people coming together to look at these items, fix them and make sure they last in perpetuity.”

Bognolo, who has served on the state’s Historical Records Advisory Board, said she knows the state’s roving archivist Sarah-Jane Poindexter. She said Poindexter was able to examine the historic texts and suggest ways the collection can best be restored and digitized.

Most of the work, Bognolo said, will consist of repairing torn pages, rebinding old books, and protecting some written works with archival boxes and folders. She added that the city’s collection has grown as other Massachusetts libraries have surrendered their Greenfield and Franklin County-related artifacts back to the city.

“One library in the eastern part of the state has been getting rid of their local history room and so we got some books that we didn’t have for Greenfield and Franklin County,” Bognolo said. “They were saying, ‘We don’t want other people’s history, we just want our own history.’”

Prior to the Community Preservation Committee’s vote to recommend projects for funding, which is slated for March, the committee will hold a public hearing to determine which projects to support with the city’s $193,000 in CPA funds. Recommended funding proposals must later be approved by City Council.

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.