Chelmsford Will Benefit From State Grants for Stormwater Treatment, Veterans' Housing

Chelmsford and eight other municipalities within the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments will receive $98,000 to help control and treat stormwater runoff in the Greater Lowell area as part of a new utility called the Northern Middlesex Stormwater Collaborative.

Funding came as part of $2.25 million in Community Innovation Challenge (CIC) grants for municipalities, regional school districts, and planning agencies across the state.

The Northern Middlesex Council of Governments initially applied for the CIC grant in January 2012, but was unsuccessful, opting instead to move forward with establishing a governance structure for the regional stormwater utility with local officials from Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, Westford and Tyngsborough

Chelmsford will also be obtaining $1.62 million in housing subsidies for 13 units of rental housing for veterans in Chelmsford and Westford as part of an initiative to build or refurbish 1,326 units of affordable housing across the state.