By Richard Conn/Daily News staff
Daily News Tribune
Posted Mar 11, 2008 @ 12:40 AM
WALTHAM —

The City Council last night approved $1.8 million that will be used for projects ranging from renovations at Stonehurst, the Robert Treat Paine Estate, to preserving open space around Hardy Pond.

The funding comes from the city's Community Preservation Act (CPA) fund, which has accumulated through property tax surcharges and matching state grants since voters approved the measure in November 2005. Cities and towns must use the money for open space, historical preservation, recreation and affordable housing.

Among the funding approved by the council, two amounts totaling $356,000 will go to restorations at Stonehurst, both for exterior renovations of the estate and for an elevator and bathroom upgrades there.

Also, $392,000 will go to purchase land surrounding Hardy Pond to protect it from development. Another $284,000 will go to preserve a lot on Crescent Street for open space, which would provide access to the River Walk.

The Charles River Museum of Industry would receive $50,000 for expansion and $300,000 would go to the Waltham Housing Authority to upgrade a senior housing project on Orange Street.

In addition, $130,000 would be geared toward the preservation of Whittemore School, while $100,000 would be used to renovate the Wellington House, a historic home on Trapelo Road.

The city clerk's office will receive $200,000 to help with the preservation of aging documents.

Another $24,000 would go toward an effort to transform the Woerd Avenue Landfill into a " site for recreation," said Councilor at-large Thomas Stanley.

Stanley said with the approval of the funding from the council last night, roughly $7 million is left in the city's CPA fund.

"This is the first time the council is deciding on CPA money," Stanley said.

The $1.8 million in funding for this year had already been OK'd by the council's Long Term Debt Committee and the Community Preservation Committee.

In other action, the council voted to accept the donation of two emergency defibrillators from the Waltham Lions Club.

The council also voted to move a request from the mayor to accept two grants from the state Department of Environmental Protection totaling just over $1,459 to the Finance Committee. The money would be used to fund recycling programs.

Councilor at-large Patrick O'Brien also asked that the Board of Assessors closely monitor the effect of the state Tax Appellate Board's decision last week to allow cities and towns to tax public telephone and wires along public ways. Verizon New England Inc. is expected to appeal the decision.

O'Brien said the tax could mean $1.4 million annually for the city.

Richard Conn can be contacted at 781-398-8004 or rconn@cnc.com.

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