Finance Committee backs $1.6M MassWorks planning grant for Trout Brook design

The Brockton Finance Committee on Oct. 6 recommended acceptance of a $1,600,000 MassWorks infrastructure grant to fund design work for the Trout Brook redevelopment area.

City CFO Dr. Troy Clarkson and planning staff said the award will pay for road and park design, stormwater improvements and utilities inside the redevelopment district. "This is a MassWorks infrastructure grant," the CFO said, and the full award and application were placed in the committee packet.

Planning interim John Fay told councilors the grant pays for design only and that design work typically takes about two years. Councilor Linda Castro asked how many miles of roadway the grant covers; Fay said he did not have that figure on hand and agreed to provide it. Fay and Rob May, the departing planning director, said the design work is required to apply for larger construction grants under the MassWorks program.

Several councilors pressed for assurances that state funds would not focus only on new development while existing local roads remain in poor condition. Fay and May said MassWorks can fund construction as well as design and that the administration views Trout Brook as a high‑priority project; May said the master developer on the project is Charter (referred to as Charter/Charter Starzick) and that an announcement about property acquisitions was expected in the coming weeks.

The committee voted to recommend the grant acceptance favorably to the full council.

The next step is for staff to supply requested details (mileage of proposed roads, more precise schedule) and for the council to consider the recommendation at its next meeting.