PHILLIPSTON – With the deadline for Community Preservation Act funding applications less than a month away, only one party has expressed interest.

According to Community Preservation Committee Chair Peter Travisano, the Congregational Church is seeking $30,000 for a window restoration. The deadline for applications is Dec. 31.

“Last year, they [the church] did window restoration on one side of the church and this year they hope to do the other side,” said Travisano. “That’s all we’ve received so far.”

Travisano said any project that would benefit the town would likely be eligible for funding. It makes no difference, he said, “whether the application is coming from a public or private source. The application needs to fall into the category of historic preservation, open space, recreation or public housing in order for us to consider it.”

Travisano said anyone with questions regarding whether a given project would meet the requirements should contact the committee at www.phillipston-ma.gov.

“I don’t want to rule anything out until we’ve had a chance to consider it,” he said. “I’d rather accept an application and have the committee talk about it to see if the proposal can be funded.”

Phillipston’s CPC has accumulated nearly $1.5 million in its budget since the town voted to adopt the CPA in 2007, according to Travisano. The program is funded by a 3% surcharge on the town’s real estate tax levy.

At this point, Travisano said, the committee has received no applications related to public housing.

“We have money in the budget for,” he said, “but, so far, it hasn’t come up. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around what that might look like in Phillipston, but I’m no expert.”

At a recent meeting of the town’s Selectboard, Finance Committee Chair Tom Specht suggested the town might apply for CPA monies to hire an engineer to determine the cost and feasibility of reconditioning the Bates Powers Dam. Athol’s Selectboard recently gave Phillipston until next June to decide if it wants to take ownership of the dam which, although owned by Athol, sits within the borders of Phillipston.

Travisano said community preservation monies could indeed be used to pay for engineering services. Last year, he explained, the town was given $30,000 to hire a firm to study possible improvements to the town common.

In addition to that project, $47,900 was approved last year for renovation work at the Phillips Free Public Library and $5,000 for the Agricultural Commission to construct a shed at the public garden.

The CPC is charged with making recommendations on the applications it receives. Applications that are approved by the committee are passed along to the Selectboard, which determines whether to place any given proposal before voters at the Annual Town Meeting.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.