AMHERST — An enhanced Strong Street crosswalk to make it safer to get to and from Wildwood Cemetery, Station Road improvements aimed at bettering connections to the Norwottuck Rail Trail and enhancing the use of a community garden at Butternut Farm are among more than $200,000 in resident requests coming before the Joint Capital Planning Committee.

The committee began its weekly meetings on Feb. 12 with an overview from Finance Director Melissa Zawadzki for how it will be responsible for recommending $5.54 million in spending.

Zawadzki said requests will likely be more than the money available, meaning some expenditures will have to put off. The $206,700 in resident capital requests is on top of vehicle and equipment purchases, capital repairs and infrastructure needs for the town, schools and libraries.

The town anticipates having $9.46 million in capital expenses, with $6.76 million in so-called “cash capital,” based on 10.5% of the fiscal year 2025 base levy. Of these expenses, though, $2.1 million is already spoken for in estimated borrowing associated with building the new elementary school.

For the capital requests, Department of Public Works Superintendent Guilford Mooring, Police Chief Gabriel Ting and Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek will be reviewing these projects and determining if cost estimates provided are realistic, Zawadzki said.

District 1 Councilor Cathy Schoen, who chairs the JCPC, said the committee often wrestles with these projects, which can’t exceed $50,000. The committee has always asked that these requests be part of a larger plan for the town, Schoen said.

“One of the issues has been is how does it fit in the bigger plan, or is there a bigger plan, and should we just fund the things because the residents found us,” Schoen said.

A few came in at the top $50,000, including one from Rebecca Fricke, general manager at Wildwood Cemetery, who is asking for the upgraded crosswalk.

“One older person told the cemetery office she’s glad she has a burial lot because she thinks she will die crossing Strong Street when she walks to visit her husband who is buried here,” Fricke wrote in the application. “On any given day we have around 20 visitors walk through the cemetery and many of them are walking into the grounds from the neighborhoods, the schools and from town.”

Others for $50,000 are to replace culvert under Fearing Street to prevent flooding, erosion and driving hazard, submitted by Michelle Hosp and James Cabral, and for better shoulders or a bicycle lane on a quarter mile section of Staton Road from the Norwottuck Reail Trail to Wildflower Drive submitted by Vivien Addison.

“The Norwottuck Trail is used by many South Amherst residents for pleasure, exercise and for commuting to work, shops, banks, library and restaurants. Access to the Station Road trailhead is down a scary, narrow, steep pothole-filled hill, which has no shoulders, no sidewalks, no bike lane and limited sight lines for pedestrians, bikers and drivers. It is an accident waiting to happen, and dangerous for all.”

District 5 Councilor Bob Hegner, who is on the JCPC, said he is concerned with the safety of Station Road, which is in his district, but that it’s unrealistic that $50,000 will address the problems. “It is something we should do, and $50,000 won’t cover it,” Hegner said.

Another ask is to put speed humps on Station Road at a cost of $10,000, a request by Glenn Hazelton, though Hegner said the DPW is likely to be hesitant to use this traffic calming on a main thoroughfare.

Lauren Mills is asking for $30,000 so the Butternut Farm community garden off Longmeadow Drive can be better utilized. “This project would hire gardening enthusiasts to learn how to care for plants and garden space to get the most out of the gardening season while bringing needed instruction from experienced gardeners,” Mills wrote.

A Seelye Street sidewalk improvement, for $8,000, is sought by Peter D. Jacoby: “Building a proper sidewalk separated from the street will increase safety and accessibility and properly link the Spring Street neighborhood with Main Street,” he wrote.

Janet McGowan is bringing forward a second $5,500 for a speed monitor for dangerous South East Street hill. This would match an existing monitor that has served to slow vehicles down. Kevin Morgan-Rothschild is seeking a bicyclist protection initiative, specific to South East Street, for $2,000, to implement a public awareness campaign and infrastructure updates.

The smallest request comes from Rita Burke, who suggests spending $1,200 to install a “Welcome to Historic Cushman Village” sign in that part of Amherst.

There is no cost estimate for lighting on Dana Street brought forward by Shiri Dori-Hacohen, though Zawadzki said this would likely cost more than $50,000. The idea would be to add street lights to Dana and other nearby streets, like Blue Hills Road.

“There are currently only street lamps on the corners of the streets, with one additional street lamp on the corner of Dana Place,” Dori-Hacohen wrote. “The streets are very dark at nighttime, and it is nearly impossible to see any pedestrians unless they are wearing reflective clothing.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.