HADLEY — A planned renovation of the exterior of a former church building that has been part of the streetscape in town center since 1902, now used as the world headquarters for V-One Vodka, will receive financial support from the town after voters narrowly approved Community Preservation Act account spending at a special Town Meeting Thursday.

The $125,400 going toward the 146 Russell St. building, passed by a 48-43 vote, was among several spending items OK’d at the meeting, with the largest being the more than $3 million combined to buy a new Fire Department ladder truck and renovate the Hopkins Academy locker rooms, both of which will depend on a Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion vote in December.

Another $225,000 in capital spending within the tax levy limit will pay for schematic designs, including the layout of the building and delineating wetlands, for an estimated $30 million project to build a new Department of Public Works building on South Middle Street.

“This will give you the momentum to move the project forward,” Town Administrator Carolyn Brennan said.

Among the most debated articles was the CPA money sought by Paul Kozub, founder and president of V-One Vodka, a request endorsed by the CPA Committee and the Historical Commission.

“If the town wants that former church building to be preserved as an historic building, with an historic preservation restriction, this is a good way to do it,” said Mary Thayer, who chairs the CPA Committee.

Denise Barstow Manz, a member of the Historical Commission, said the former church is on lists of vital historical buildings in town as the first dedicated place of worship for Catholics. “It is important to the town’s landscape and historic preservation,” Barstow Manz said.

Peter Matuszko of Middle Street, though, said the five-year historic preservation agreement, which would force Kozub to reimburse the town if he sold the building, should be extended to 20 years.

“If he’s really serious about this and accepting the taxpayers’ money, extending that to 15 or 20 years, knowing that he’s serious, and knowing that he’s not going to sell, and it’s a value to this community,” Matuszko said.

His amendment to 20 years was adopted, also by a 48-43 vote, though it’s uncertain if Kozub will agree to those terms.

Both John Silvestro of Rocky Hill Road and Nancy Bandman of High Meadow Drive used the term “dangerous precedent” in giving money to a private business, though Andy Morris-Friedman, a member of the CPA Committee, said that the committee makes recommendations on a case-by-case basis and, with the preservation agreement, will ensure no alterations happen outside the building.

Even after the arrangement was amended, George Mitrolka of River Drive read from a 2019 Daily Hampshire Gazette article that Kozub had made a multimillion dollar purchase and a planned expansion of a 133-year-old distillery in Kamien, Poland.

“My question is why does he need CPA money to fix up his building?” Mitrolka said.

Michael Sarsysnki of East Commons Drive observed that the church’s exterior has already changed, with the company’s advertisement affixed to the clapboards.

“I know that Father (John) Hughes, the former pastor at St. John’s, had quite a reputation, but I don’t think he put a V on the building,” Sarsynski said. “Are we supporting the use of CPA funds to maintain a corporate logo?”

Other items

The $2.15 million for the ladder truck and money for repairing an existing ladder truck passed in a 117-5 vote. That was preceded by a 118-4 vote for the $1.07 million for the locker rooms. Both will be subject to a ballot vote tentatively set for Dec. 12.

School Committee member Christine Pipczynski said the project was long overdue and the locker rooms have become not only an embarrassment, but safety issue for students and athletes. “There comes a time where they deserve better,” Pipczynski said.

James Makimoski, who chairs the DPW Study Committee, said the current DPW headquarters was under construction in 1971, even before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created. Voters agreed by a 110-12 tally to pay for the schematic designs.

“The existing garage simply isn’t large enough,” Maksimoski said, explaining that the 8,000-square-foot garage and maintenance bay would be replaced by a much larger building and trailers would be replaced with an office, bathroom and locker room section of 6,400 square feet.

John Kinchla of Bay Road, though, said residents haven’t been provided enough information and, even if state funding is available for the project, the town could lose out to Amherst and West Springfield, communities also looking at new DPW buildings.

“It would be nice to know what is actually proposed. It would be nice to know what the $225,000 consultant is going to be looking at,” Kinchla said. “For me, it’s a non-starter. I think the community needs to revisit this.”

In other action, voters amended zoning bylaws, including allowing Planning Board decisions on small-scale solar projects to be made in 21 days, rather than 35 days, and permitting signs in the agricultural/residential zoning districts for home occupations to be 4 square feet, rather than the current 2 square feet limit.

“We’re just giving this a little bump so the sign can be a little larger,” said Planning Board Clerk William Dwyer.

Voters also created an opiod settlement stabilization fund, with $45,838 to put into the account, adjusted the $20.46 million fiscal year 2024 operating budget and previous capital spending articles, extended previous CPA expenditures. paid prior year bills and accepted Birch Meadow Drive, a subdivision off Rocky Hill Road, as a public road.

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