Voters also approved the purchase of Gazebo Park on Main Street.
WILBRAHAM – Voters at Monday’s annual Town Meeting approved $163,201 to light the fields at the Spec Pond Recreational Area and $125,000 to purchase Gazebo Park on Main Street from Wilbraham United Methodist Church.
Both appropriations will come from Community Preservation Act funds, raised through a 1.5 percent surcharge on the tax rate. Both appropriations were approved by a majority show of hands.
Frederic Fuller, a member of the Community Preservation Act Committee, said the $163,000 will light two baseball fields and a softball field now being completed.
In prior years, Fuller said, $480,000 in Community Preservation Act funds have been appropriated to help with private fundraising to develop the fields. Fuller said it is legal to use the Community Preservation Act funds to light the fields for recreational purposes.
Fuller also said that the purchase of Gazebo Park on Main Street would “enhance the center of Wilbraham.” Fuller said the $125,000 is a good price to pay for the 67,000-square-foot property, which would be large enough to create two house building lots fronting on Main Street.
Donald Flannery, a local realtor, said he favored keeping the property as open space.
Llewellyn Merrick said the property originally was the site of a church which burned 100 years ago.
Also at the annual Town Meeting voters approved the appropriation of $110,000 in Community Preservation Act funds for the renovation of the barn at Fountain Park.
Jules Gaudreau urged voters to appropriate $110,000 to renovate the barn, which was the 20-year home of the Wilbraham Peach Festival.
“We want to stabilize and renovate a historic, New England barn,” Gaudreau said. He said the project is a good project for Community Preservation Act funds.