Here’s a quick quiz. What do all of these projects have in common?
- Restoration of the Historical Society Museum (Flagg School)
- Microfilming of town records
- Renovation of the All Wars Monument
- Improvements to the Cordaville Triangle Park
- Funding of the Affordable Housing Trust
- Creation of wildlife viewing at Breakneck Hill conservation land
The answer? They were all funded using money collected under the Community Preservation Act (CPA).
Southborough adopted the CPA in 2003. It allows the town to collect a property tax surcharge that, along with state matching funds, is used for open space preservation, creation of community housing, preservation of historic buildings and landscapes, and creation of recreation opportunities.
Each year the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) makes recommendations to Town Meeting on which projects to fund. The CPC is currently collecting applications for projects that would be funded in fiscal year 2011. Chairman Andrew Mills estimates they’ll have about $400K to allocate.
If you’re interested in submitting an application, you don’t have much time left. They’re due on June 15.
Once the applications are in, the CPC will evaluate how the projects meet the goals in the town’s Master Plan among other objectives. In the fall they’ll vote on which projects to recommend at town meeting.
You can learn more about the history of the CPA in Southborough and the application process for FY2011 projects on the CPC website.
