Grants not tied to just seniors

By Jonathan L'Ecuyer
Staff Writer

September 06, 2008 05:45 am

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ROCKPORT — An official with the state department which administers Community Development Block Grants said yesterday there is no grant funding requirement stating that a senior center must have exclusive use of a separate building.

The Community Development Block Grant had been championed by senior center advocate Christopher Lewis in recent weeks as a way to help pay for renovations to the Granite Savings Bank building if the town supported acquiring the bank for use as a senior center. Currently, Article I on the fall Town Meeting warrant calls for the town's permission for selectmen to acquire the building for general municipal uses.

Lewis said he had spoken with members of the Department of Housing and Community Development who told him seniors needed exclusive rights to a building in order for the community to be eligible for the block grant. It was the potential loss of a chance of receiving the grant due to that lack of exclusivity that Lewis cited as an obstacle when selectmen and other committees — such as the Building Study Committee and Finance Committee — suggested a senior center be housed in a renovated Community House, also on Broadway.

It wasn't until Finance Committee Chairman Jim Gardner spoke with Housing & Community Development manager Mark Siegenthaler that the requirements were clarified.

"Communities are eligible to use CDBG (Community Development Block Grants) funds for the construction of senior centers in many forms. Some communities construct new buildings as exclusive senior center space; some rehabilitate existing space, whether all or part of an existing building," Siegenthaler said in an e-mail to Lewis yesterday. "The key requirement is that the CDBG funds awarded for development of a senior center may only be used for the improvements necessary to create the center.

"There is no CDBG funding requirement that senior centers themselves be in separate buildings. There is a requirement that space designated for a senior center must be used primarily for senior center purposes for at least five years from the time of project completion," Siegenthaler said. "If that space is a separate building, the building must be used as a senior center; if the space is part of another building, the space in the building must be used as a senior center. Incidental use of senior center space for other purposes, occasional community meetings for example, is allowable."

Lewis said that, despite the clarification, it doesn't change much when it comes to using the bank building as a new senior center.

"Rules for this grant specify that a stand-alone facility for seniors must be used as a senior center for at least five years," Lewis said yesterday.

Gardner said the grant process is highly competitive with only 33 percent of interested communities receiving a block grant. At a public forum on the bank building article held by the Planning Board on Thursday night, Selectman Charles Clark reminded residents the town must approach the possible purchase, renovations and maintenance of the bank building as if there is no outside funding, such as grants, available. He also said further study needed to be done regarding firm renovation and maintenance costs estimates.

When notified of the development yesterday, Council on Aging Chairman Roger Lesch had no immediate comment other than to say the council will be meeting with the Building Study Committee once more ahead of Monday's fall Town Meeting.

Building Study Committee Chairman John Campbell said the committee's latest compromise offer to the Council on Aging was to give the council the entire second floor and approximately 980 square feet of the first floor of the Community House, with the understanding they would have to share the first floor space on occasions, mostly on weekends.

According to the block grant requirements, many officials believe such a grant could be used to renovate the second floor of the Community House for use as a senior center.

Essex Town Administrator Brendhan Zubricki applied for and eventually was awarded a block grant for the town worth more than $600,000 to construct a new senior center.

Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.