A few years ago, the town was awarded a $350,000 STEAP Grant for sidewalks in the downtown aea. John Hodge had that grant reallocated and bundled it with a $50,000 Endangered Property Grant and $50,000 in donations totaling $450,000 for establishing a Museum District. We were led to believe the two houses would be moved and the Museum District would be completed for that amount. As of 11/30/2008, the Museum District Fund has a balance of $6,266 remaining and no bridge to allow access to it.
John Hodge spent $19,772 to rent a temporary bridge in order to move the two houses to their present location. After removing the temporary bridge, another $22,500 was spent for the purchase of what was supposed to be a permanent bridge. Unfortunately, Mr. Hodge failed to apply for the permit from the DEP which is required in order to change the course of Ball Pond Brook or to build a bridge over it. After the bridge was completely set in place, the DEP ordered John Hodge to disassemble and remove the bridge, and return the brook back to its normal course. To this date, there is no access to the two houses.
View of Ball Pond Brook to the DamWe have been told this project would be completed with the $450,000 from grants and donations and without the use of one thin dime of taxpayer's money.
The Public Works Dept. has approximately $150,000 of labor, and equipment time already put into this project, which, I am certain, will never be recoped. Is this not taxpayer's money???
John Hodge has now applied to the State for stimulus grants that include $750,000 for a pedestrian footbridge, which will provide access to the two houses. He mentions in his request that there are ten and one half acres of land on which he wants to put hiking trails. Three quarters of a million dollars for a footbridge and a few hiking trails seems like an awful lot of money to finish offa project that was supposed to cost $450,000 to begin with.
I fully support getting whatever we can out of the stimulus program, but I also feel whatever we do get should be used wisely and not squandered.
Art Azzarito
