Ayer CPC Reviews $212,000 Grant Agreements for Housing Trust and Historic School

AYER — May 6, 2026 — Ayer's Community Preservation Committee reviewed two draft grant agreements totaling roughly $212,000 at its May 6 Zoom meeting, following a successful town meeting at which all three CPC articles passed. The agreements cover an $84,000 rental assistance wrap program for 14 families and a $128,000 property acquisition allocation through the Ayer Affordable Housing Trust, plus a separate historic preservation grant for the Sandy Pond School Association drawn from the historic category reserve. Neither agreement was voted on; both must be revised by town counsel KP Law before execution. A member cautioned against over-specifying design language in the Sandy Pond agreement, saying she would "prefer not to put too many details in a grant agreement that might interfere with necessary flexibility." The committee also learned that Parks Director Sarah has resigned and that former Parks Commissioner Jerry Amenta has stepped in as interim parks director, and it announced a housing forum for September 29, 2026 at 6 p.m. in Town Hall's Great Hall.