The town will learn by the end of October whether it receives the grant.
WILBRAHAM - The Board of Selectmen Monday gave its endorsement to a $500,000 state grant application to help fund improvements to the Spec Pond recreation area.
The Park and Recreation Department is seeking the same grant it sought last summer, but was denied, Park & Recreation Director Bryan J. Litz said.
The improvements for which the state grant is being sought range from a new softball field and walking trails to playground renovations.
Litz said there were an extraordinary number of applications last year.
He said state Sen. Gale D. Candaras, D-Wilbraham, urged him to give the grant application “one more shot.”
“Hopefully, the third time is the charm,” Litz said.
The town has been denied the grant twice in the past, Litz said.
The Friends of Recreation also has done a $700,000 fund-raising drive for the improvements to the recreation area.
Litz said an additional $300,000 in Community Preservation Funds over two years also will help pay for the improvements.
Whether or not the application for the state grant is successful, the Parks & Recreation Department will be making $1 million in improvements to the area, Litz said.
A new softball field, walking trails and a dog park are the primary goals of the improvements, Litz said. Also included are pavilion and beach improvements, playground renovations and creation of a spray park, he said.
Selectman James E. Thompson said the biggest contribution to the recreation improvements at Spec Pond will be private fund-raising, whether or not the state grant is received.
The grant application is due by July 14. The town will find out by the end of October whether it receives the grant, Litz said.