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Mayor’s Advisory Committee to hold informational meeting on grant application for the Emery Estate

Town plans to apply for a Massachusetts PARC grant to assist with improving the estate’s grounds.
Posted on: June 15, 2016 - 11:24am
emery estate

Weymouth, MA – The Emery Estate Advisory Committee will hold an informational meeting for the general public on Tuesday, June 21st at 6:00 pm in the Town Council Chambers.  At that time, the Department of Planning and Community Development will present concepts for a future grant application to the Massachusetts PARC program for reuse of the Emery Estate in East Weymouth.

The Emery Estate is a 24-acre property located atop King Oak Hill.  It features sweeping grounds, a skyline view of downtown Boston, and a three-story colonial home modeled on George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate.  The property was acquired by the Town of Weymouth in 2011 with $1.9 million in Community Preservation Act funds.

In recent months, the Department of Planning and Community Development has worked closely with the Emery Estate Advisory Committee to investigate grant opportunities for improving the grounds.  The Massachusetts Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) program has been identified as a potential source of funding.    

The Massachusetts PARC program assists cities and towns in acquiring and developing land for park and outdoor recreation purposes.  Cities of any size, Cape Cod communities, and towns with more than 35,000 residents are eligible for the grant maximum of $400,000. 

Conceptual plans for a PARC grant are currently under development by Town staff with the consent of Mayor Robert Hedlund and the Emery Estate Advisory Committee.  Plans will be presented to residents on the evening of June 21st with a questions-and-answers forum to follow immediately after.  All neighbors of the estate and interested residents are encouraged to attend.  For those unable to make the meeting, questions may be sent via email to nbulens@weymouth.ma.us.  All answers will be provided via email in the days following the event.        

The deadline for applications to the Massachusetts PARC program FY17 is July 13, 2016.