Concord Community Preservation Committee receives Twelve New Applications for Community Preservation Act Funding

Concord’s Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is pleased to announce that 12 applications have been received for potential consideration by the 2015 Annual Town Meeting for Community Preservation Act Funding. These projects address historic preservation, open space, community housing, and recreation priorities and total approximately $2 million in requested funds.

This year’s projects include the following:

1) Regional Housing Services Program - Town of Concord

2) MCI Concord Fountain Restoration – Mass. Dept. of Corrections and Alex Lyman

3) Wright Tavern Restoration of Windows, Gutters and Door – Trustees of Donations, First Parish Church

4) Interior Restoration of the Old Manse, Phase II– Trustees of Reservations

5) Completion of Phase II and Installation of Accessible Play Elements for the Natural Playscape at Ripley - Concord Children’s Center and Friends of the Playscape at Ripley

6) Phase II Fields Renovations at Concord Carlisle High School – Concord Carlisle at Play

7) Peter Bulkeley Terrace Phase II – Concord Housing Authority

8) Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Phase 2B and 2C in Concord – Town of Concord and Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Advisory Committee

9) Warner’s Pond Dredging Feasibility Study – Town of Concord

10) 141 Keyes Road Historic Roof Restoration – Town of Concord

11) Junction Village Affordable Assisted Living Project - Concord Housing Development Corporation

12) Archaeology Program Administration – Town of Concord

Over the next few weeks, the CPC will review each of the proposed applications to determine which projects will be recommended for consideration at the 2015 Annual Town Meeting. This process will include a public hearing scheduled for Monday, November 24 at 7:30pm in the Willard School Auditorium, which is an excellent opportunity for the public to learn more about the proposed projects and how they may address community housing, historic preservation, open space and recreation priorities in Concord. Public feedback on these applications is strongly encouraged.

The CPC is currently anticipating that there will be approximately $1.5 million in Community Preservation Act funds available for appropriation by the 2015 Annual Town Meeting for these Concord projects. This funding comes from a combination of local and state sources. In 2004, Concord residents voted at Town Meeting, and subsequently at Town-wide elections, to establish a 1.5% surcharge on Concord real estate taxes for this purpose, with the first $100,000 of property value exempt and an additional exemption approved for low-income residents. These local funds are matched by state monies which are disbursed from the Community Preservation Trust Fund, a fund created by fees charged on real estate transactions at the Registries of Deeds throughout the state.

The Concord Community Preservation Committee includes designees of the Historical Commission, Housing Authority, Natural Resources Commission, Planning Board and Recreation Commission, as well as four at-large members appointed by the Board of Selectmen. Paul Mahoney (Chairman), Bouzha Cookman (Vice Chair), and Chris Toomey are the at-large members. Other members include: Linda Escobedo (Treasurer) from the Concord Housing Authority; John Cratsley from the Planning Board, Greg Higgins from the Natural Resources Commission, Peter Hunter from the Recreation Commission and Geoffrey Taylor from the Historical Commission.

For more information regarding these applications and the committee’s review schedule, visit the Concord CPC at www.concordma.gov/Pages/ConcordMA_CPC/index or call Lara Kritzer in the Department of Planning & Land Management at (978) 318-3293.