SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Prior to the meeting held on Monday, Jan. 13, the Springfield Selectboard conducted a public hearing giving residents the opportunity to discuss and provide input on the proposed town budget.
To be voted on at Town Meeting, scheduled for March 4, the gross appropriation budget will be $15,872,049, an increase of 5.75% over the current year. Discussion of the largest contributors to the budget increase ensued, with mention of three new staff members joining the fire and ambulance department, an increase in the amount invested in economic development, and the annual cost of living adjustment.
After the hearing’s conclusion, the regular meeting commenced, and the board invited public comment regarding implementation of the corrective plan for the brownfield cleanup at the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center’s historic foundry building.
The town was awarded a grant last summer from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) program that will help cover the cost of environmental remediation at the site, located at 140 Clinton Street. The removal of PCBs and other chemicals is Phase 1 of a three-phase project that also includes the construction of a 13,000-square-foot addition that will connect the recreation center to the foundry building. When all phases are complete, the recreation center will be expanded by 31,000 square feet, with an indoor walking track and turf field, spaces dedicated for wellness treatments, and a community meeting space. The plan also includes increasing the size of the locker rooms, adding basketball and pickleball courts, and the addition of a licensed childcare program.
Edgar May took ownership of the foundry around 2000, and had always planned to expand into that building, but encountered construction delays and skyrocketing costs. After the state required the town to conduct contaminant testing, Stone Environmental was retained to conduct the tests, and presented a 124-page report with their findings in 2016.
On Monday night, town manager Jeff Mobus; Walter Martone, liaison to the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission (MARC); and Tom Kennedy, director of community development at MARC, introduced the discussion on the brownfield program, specifically the proposed project at 140 Clinton Street.
Dan Voisin from Stone Environmental gave a presentation which detailed the contamination, which includes PCBs, asbestos, and lead paint found in the building materials, as well as soil and groundwater contamination that will need ongoing monitoring. Voisin told the meeting that the inventory and analysis of stored material was happening the following day, Tuesday, Jan. 14. Removal of the materials, permitting, and development of the demolition specifications will occur this winter, with the demolition scheduled for spring. Further demolition and construction will continue into summer and fall 2025. Concurrently, a capital campaign will run mid-to-late 2025, aiming to raise about $1-1.5 million through individual and business donors.
“Our hope is by mid-2026, we are ready to start beginning construction of Phase 2, the connector building,” Voisin stated.
The Vermont Department of Historic Preservation is coordinating with the project managers, and will place a historic marker at the site indicating the significance of the history of manufacturing on the property.
Additionally, the board voted to form an ad hoc committee for the purposes of investigating solutions to the housing crisis, particularly addressing the lack of middle-income housing. The board agreed to set the date of their next meeting for Jan. 20, noting that Mobus will not be available on Jan. 27.
A list of properties in Springfield that have utilized brownfield funding can be found on the last page of the meeting’s minutes, located on the town website.