Community Preservation Act Funding Recommendations for the 2012 Annual Town Meeting
The Concord Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is pleased to announce its recommendations for Community Preservation Act funding at Concord’s 2012 Annual Town Meeting. Concord’s CPA fund received nineteen applications for the $1,105,226 available this year for potential distribution. In accordance with the state CPA statute, a minimum of 10% of the available funds must be allocated to each of the three categories of Community Housing, Historic Preservation and Open Space. The remaining funds may be distributed between the categories as recommended by the CPC and approved by vote of Town Meeting.
The CPC received a number of compelling applications this year for a wide variety of potential projects in all four CPA funding eligible categories: Community Housing, Historic Preservation, Open Space and Recreation, and included a number of significant Town resources.
This year, the Town of Concord submitted a total of ten specific projects for consideration, totaling $437,037. Of these, eight were fully funded by the CPA for a total of CPA funds devoted to Town projects of $362,500.
The CPC evaluated each project in accordance with the criteria established in the Town’s Community Preservation Plan, conducted a group site visit to each of the represented properties, and presented the applications at a public hearing in November. With these assessments in mind, the CPC completed its review in December and established the following funding recommendations:
COMMUNITY HOUSING RECOMMENDATIONS:
Regional Housing Services Program, Town of Concord: $25,000 to fund the second year of the Town’s participation in the Regional Housing Services Office, an inter-municipal organization which provides professional housing staff for the administration of Concord’s affordable housing programs.
Bringing Affordable Housing Home Program, Concord Housing Development Corporation: $80,000 to continue the development of affordable housing programs which meet the Corporation’s charter to support Concord’s affordable housing goals and needs.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS;
Monument Street Retaining Wall Reconstruction, Town of Concord: $122,500 to complete the reconstruction of 320 linear feet of historic dry laid stone wall adjacent to Hutchins Farm which is integral to the construction of Monument Street.
Town House Brownstone Repairs, Town of Concord: $50,000 to fund the completion of an Historic Structure Report and a report which analyzes the existing condition of the exterior envelope of the historic Town House and provides recommendations and cost estimates for its future restoration.
Memories of Antietam Painting Conservation, Town of Concord: $43,000 for the professional conservation of “Memories of Antietam,” the historically significant ca. 1920s painting hanging in the Town House’s Public Hearing Room.
West Concord Historic Resource Survey Update, Town of Concord: $22,000 to hire a consultant to complete Phase I of a multi-year project to update and expand the Town’s Historic Resource Survey for West Concord’s architectural and cultural resources.
Thoreau Birthplace Historic Structures Report, Thoreau Farm Trust: $15,000 to complete an Historic Structure Report (HSR) for the Thoreau Birth House that documents the historic building materials uncovered during its recent restoration.
Barrett Farm Site Drainage, Save Our Heritage, Inc.: $60,000 to implement site drainage and infrastructure repairs that will ensure the future preservation and safety of the historic Barrett Farmhouse.
51 Walden Street Historic Structure Report, Friends of the Performing Arts in Concord (FOPAC): $18,000 to complete an Historic Structure Report for 51 Walden Street and to develop any structural plans necessary to make recommended repairs to the historic ca. 1887 former Armory building.
Emerson Umbrella Historic Structure Report and Master Plan, Emerson Umbrella: $50,000 to complete an Historic Structure Report and Architectural Master Plan for the historic Emerson Umbrella to guide any future work and improvements to the building.
Caesar Robbins Interpretive Center, Drinking Gourd Project: $100,000 to provide continued support for the preservation and restoration of the historic interior and to develop an historically appropriate landscape for the area surrounding the early 19th century building.
Phase II Rehabilitation of Roof and Walls, Concord Scout House, Inc.: $175,000 to reconstruct the roof and eaves, install insulation, and correct of water infiltration problems as part of Phase II work required to preserve the historic building.
Slate Roof Replacement and Exterior Renovations, Concord Museum: $123,000 to support work to correct water infiltration issues by replacing the slate roof, reconstructing four chimneys, and repairing damaged wood trim in the original ca. 1930 Colonial Revival style building which houses many of the Museum’s collections and exhibits.
OPEN SPACE RECOMMENDATIONS:
Granite Post and Chain Fence for Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Town of Concord: $40,000 for the installation of approx. 800 linear feet of historically appropriate granite post and chain fencing to be installed on the cemetery grounds adjacent to Bedford Street.
Open Space Reserve Fund - Town of Concord: $18,000 to be placed in an existing reserve for future Open Space projects and/or land acquisitions involving agriculture, open space, or recreational purposes.
Woodland Trail and Play Area at Ripley, Concord Children’s Center: $48,000 to construct a new natural playscape featuring a fully accessible path connecting the Ripley School area to the Gowings Swamp trail system.
RECREATION RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recreation Facilities Plan, Town of Concord: $30,000 to hire a consultant to complete the Town’s first Recreation Facilities Plan that will identify the Town’s Recreation priorities and develop short and long term goals for the future development of both active and passive facilities.
OPEN CATEGORY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Land Acquisition Project Fund, Town of Concord: $55,726 to be placed in an existing reserve account for future land purchases which support the Town’s efforts to create additional community housing, protect open spaces, and/or establish new recreation facilities.
In February, the Finance Committee will hold a public hearing for further review and comment on these CPA funding recommendations. Further information on the Community Preservation Committee and this year’s funding recommendations can be found below or by contacting Senior Planner Lara Kritzer at 978-318-3293.
Community Preservation Committee 2012 Meeting Schedule (updated 12/13/11) |
Date |
Time |
Location |
Monday, January 23 |
7:30 P.M. |
1st Floor Conference Room, 141 Keyes Road
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Monday, February 13 |
7:30 P.M.
|
1st Floor Conference Room, 141 Keyes Road
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Wednesday, February 29 |
7:00 P.M. |
Finance Committee Public Hearings Town House Public Hearing Room 22 Monument Square
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Monday, March 12
|
7:30 P.M. |
1st Floor Conference Room, 141 Keyes Road
|
Monday, April 9 |
7:30 P.M. |
1st Floor Conference Room, 141 Keyes Road
|
Monday, April 23 – Thursday, April 26 |
7:30 P.M. |
Town Meeting Concord- Carlisle High School Auditorium |
The Community Preservation Act in Concord
What is the Community Preservation Act? Established under M.G.L. c. 44B, the Community Preservation Act (CPA) allows Massachusetts cities and towns to raise monies through a surcharge of up to 3% of the tax levy on real property. These funds can be used to acquire, create and preserve open space; acquire, preserve, rehabilitate or restore historic resources; acquire, create, preserve and support community housing; and acquire and preserve land for recreational use. The Act also provides a significant State matching fund, which in past years has made more than $30 million available annually. In addition to Concord, 146 cities and towns across the state have adopted the CPA to date.
How is the CPA used in Concord? At the 2004 Annual Town Meeting and subsequently at the polls, Concord residents voted to adopt the CPA with a 1.5% surcharge on all real estate property tax bills. There are two exemptions, however, to this surcharge:
- The first $100,000 of taxable value of residential real property
- Residential property owned and occupied by any person who qualifies for moderate- or low-income housing (earning less than 80% of Area Median Income), or low or moderate-income senior housing (earning less than 100% of Area Median Income and are 60 years of age or older).
The CPA mandates that each fiscal year Concord must spend, or set aside for later spending, at least 10% of the annual revenues in the Town of Concord Community Preservation Fund for each of the three CPA interests: community housing, historic resources, and open space. Beyond these required allocations, Concord Town Meeting decides, based on the CPC’s recommendations, how much of the remaining 70% of the funds should be spent on the three purposes identified above or for recreation. The spending mix for the remaining 70% of the Fund can be modified each year, and any monies not appropriated remain in the Fund for future distribution.
Where do the CPA funds come from? The funds available for spending each fiscal year are a combination of three sources:
- Projected Fund Revenues for the Upcoming Fiscal Year – Projected fund revenues are made up of the funds collected from the 1.5% surcharge on all real estate property tax bills and the State matching funds collected from existing surcharges on all real estate transactions at the Registry of Deeds and Land Court. These funds are termed as “projected” because the final numbers are not available until October of each year. In 2011, Concord is projected to receive a 25%* match from these State funds. However, legislation is currently under review at the State level which would guarantee a 75% match from the State fund in future years. State funds have added $3,132,630 to the Town’s CPA fund since its inception.
- Undesignated Fund Balance – These are funds which were collected in previous years but never allocated. Where did this money come from? Usually an undesignated fund balance represents either unanticipated additional interest received on CPA fund accounts or the receipt of more State matching funds or surcharge tax revenues than were originally anticipated.
- Reserve Funds - These are funds which were approved at previous Town Meetings to be set aside for future projects in Community Housing, Historic Preservation, and/or Open Space. At present, there is $235,484 in the Open Space Reserve Fund.
What does the surcharge really mean to Concord taxpayers? The Assessor’s Department has calculated that in FY11, the median home in Concord had an assessed value of $657,750. After subtracting the CPA exemption for the first $100,000 of the taxable value of a residential property, and multiplying this number by the FY11 tax rate of $13.19 per $1000 of value, the median tax amount is $7,357. The 1.5% surcharge, then, for the median homeowner in Concord is $110.
Concord’s Community Preservation Committee
Following Concord's 2004 adoption of the Community Preservation Act, the Board of Selectmen established the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). As specified in the enabling legislation, the Committee is charged with the task of "studying the needs, possibilities, and resources of the town regarding community preservation." The areas of study are open space, community housing, historic preservation and recreation. The Committee is required to consult with town boards and commissions to ascertain the needs of the community and hold at least one public informational meeting per year. Finally, the Committee is to solicit applications for CPA projects and after review present funding recommendations to the citizens at Concord's Town Meeting.
The first task of the Committee was to write a Plan, which was completed in 2005 and has been reviewed and updated each subsequent summer. It includes the following sections:1) The CPA in Concord; 2) How CPA Funds can be Used; 3) Needs Assessments for Community Housing, Historic Preservation, Open Space, and Recreation; 4) General Selection Criteria; 5) Application Process; 6) Guidelines for Submission; 7) Application Requirements; 8) Application; 9) Funding Process and ten Appendices. The 2012 Community Preservation Plan is available on this webpage, at the Town libraries, and in the Planning Department at 141 Keyes Road.
In writing the Plan, the Committee received input from the Town's boards, commissions and officials. They also utilized the most recent Comprehensive Long Range Plan, the Open Space and Recreation Plan and the Playground Study. The Committee continues to update the Plan each year to meet the changing needs of the community.
(Updated July 11, 2011)
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