Politics & Government

No PARC Grant: No Special Town Meeting

The Friends of Swampscott Athletic Fields plans to apply for a grant in the next round in 2015.


Swampscott will not receive a 2014 PARC grant to help fund an artifical surface and other work for Blocksidge Field. 

As a result of this the town will not resume its special town meeting on Thursday, said Town Administrator Tom Younger.

Resumption of the meeting was contingent on the town receiving a PARC grant.

The meeting was continued on Nov. 17 for possible action on Article 7: Appropriate $1,541,073 to build a multi-sport artificial turf field, demolish existing grandstands and replace the same with foundations for future grandstands, install footings and electric conduit for future light towers, erect and/or install related fixtures and landscaping at Blocksidge Field in Phillips Park.

Town Moderator Joseph Markarian will dissolve the special meeting. 

The town administrator got the PARC grant news from the state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

They said they had received multiple applications for 2014 grants but Swampscott was not among the recipients.

Christian Urbano of the Friends of Swampscott Athletic Fields had submitted an application for a $400,000 PARC grant to help fund the Blocksidge Field work.

The Friends group plans to try for a PARC grant in 2015, and will look into other grant possibilities, he said.
 
The PARC Program (formerly the Urban Self-Help Program) was established in 1977 to assist cities and towns in acquiring and developing land for park and outdoor recreation purposes. 


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