The Wareham Community Preservation Committee gave updates about recent projects at its Wednesday night meeting.

Each year, the Community Preservation Committee helps groups in town request funds for projects in four categories: open space, historic preservation, affordable housing and recreation. The money is raised through a 3 percent surcharge on property tax bills. Spending the funds must be approved at Town Meeting. 

Projects completed in 2019 include the construction of the new stands as well as an upgraded sound system for Spillane Field, which received $55,500 in community preservation funds during the Fall 2017 Town Meeting.

Another project completed was the rehabilitation of the existing Philip E. Lukey Weweantic Playground with access points on Hathaway and Windsor Street. The park, which had fallen into disrepair, was rebuilt with the help of volunteers and $175,000 in Community Preservation Act funds.

Even though sufficient funds are imperative for any town project, Community Preservation Committee Co-Chair Sandy Slavin believes it would not have been possible to achieve these goals without the efforts of volunteers.  

“You cannot get the job done by just paying a contractor,” said Slavin. “The people involved in the projects are the people who care about the projects and they give up a lot of their own time in order to complete it.”

The town will continue to see more renovations in the upcoming year.  

During the Spring 2019 Town Meeting, voters approved spending $200,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to resurface the Knute Anderson Field Track, located on Viking Drive. It would also fund a storage unit and add additional fencing.

The town also approved granting $650,000 to the Wareham Housing Authority to construct four new units of affordable senior public housing at the Agawam Village site at 57 Sandwich Rd.

Meanwhile, the town is still working on several projects, the funding for which was approved during the Fall 2018 Town meeting. 

Voters approved spending $1.43 million to remove pollution from the Tremont Nail Factory District complex, paving the way for economic revitalization. The main pollutants at the site are heavy metals related to the manufacture of nails and petroleum, which was stored in above and below ground tanks.

At the same meeting, voters approved spending $333,000 to replace the Lillian Gregerman Bandshell in Onset. The funds will go to restoring the existing benches at the structure and create additional seating for up to 200 people. Brick stairwells will be built between aisles to prevent further erosion along the hillside when it rains. New audio equipment, lighting, and handicap accessible areas would be also added to the bandshell, along with landscaping.

During the Spring 2018 Town meeting, voters approved spending $250,000 for the restoration of the Onset Pier, along with $200,000 to renovate the Freight Building, one of eight buildings on the 7.2-acre Tremont Nail site on Elm Street. 

For the full list for the open and completed Community Preservation Act Projects, visit the Community Preservation Committee website at www.wareham.ma.us.