CCPC approves more than $1M in funding requests

A whopping 11 public projects, many of which are “shovel ready,” will all be in line for some form of Community Preservation Act funding in the spring in what Community Preservation Committee Chairman George Comeau is calling a “banner year” for the CPA in Canton.

At its meeting held last Tuesday, December 20, the eight-member CCPC voted to recommend funding six projects fully and five others partially for a total cost of just over $1 million. Another request for $267,000, submitted by Town Planner Laura Smead to fund the creation of a recreational trail and sensory garden along Forge Pond in downtown Canton, was not recommended for any funding as the committee did not deem it feasible at this time.

A copper roof for the historic Revere rolling mill is one of the projects recommended for funding by the CCPC. (George Comeau photo)

Now in its fourth year in Canton following a successful ballot initiative in 2012, the Community Preservation Act is an optional state statute that enables participating cities and towns to set aside funds for the preservation of open space, historical resources, community housing, and outdoor recreation. Funds are raised locally through a surcharge on property tax bills — 1 percent in Canton’s case — and matched annually at a certain percentage through a statewide CPA trust.

In addition to administering the CPA program and managing the budget, the CCPC is tasked with reviewing all project proposals and making spending recommendations that align with the town’s Community Preservation Plan. The ultimate decision, however, rests with the town meeting voters, who can opt to approve, reject, or reduce — but not increase — the suggested expenditures by a majority vote.

This year’s list of spending recommendations includes three historic preservation projects, one housing project, one open space project, three recreation projects, and three others that address both open space and recreation.

More than half of the recommended funding went to the three recreation proposals, including replacement of the Tilden and Devoll playgrounds and a new restroom/concession facility at the Kennedy School playing fields.

The committee voted to recommend nearly all of the playground costs — totaling over $400,000 — minus the requested costs for surveillance equipment, which they determined would not be fundable under the CPA statute.

Comeau said both the Tilden and Devoll playgrounds, which are nearly 20 years old, would be redone “pretty much from scratch” with brand-new equipment and could be completed as soon as this fall. The Devoll playground would also be moved from its present location to a new area close to the field house.

The other recreation proposal, submitted by Canton Little League, was recommended for partial funding at $173,500 with the funds to be administered by the Canton School Department and the town’s Building Renovation Committee. Plans call for the construction of a fully accessible, 1,200-square-foot restroom and concessions facility between Sullivan and Crawford fields. The building would be available to all sports teams that use the fields for practices and games.

In the area of historic preservation, the big ticket item was a new copper roof for the historic Revere rolling mill, which was recommended for full funding at nearly $149,000. Part of the Paul Revere Heritage Site off Revere Street, the mill, which was constructed by Paul Revere’s son in the mid 1800s, has been pegged as the future home of a museum and cultural center, and the present-day Revere Copper Company, now located in Rome, New York, has agreed to supply the copper for the roof. A portion of the roof costs would also be paid for by a private developer, Canton Holdings LLC, in accordance with a development agreement between the builder and the town.

A related but separate request, also recommended for full funding at $20,000, would cover the administrative costs associated with obtaining a permanent conservation restriction for the seven acres of open space at the Revere site that was acquired by the town using CPA funds. While the transaction has not yet been finalized, state statute requires such restrictions for all land purchased with CPA monies. The restriction would be held and administered by a third party, most likely a nonprofit group with a focus on land conservation.

The other historic preservation projects recommended for funding in FY18 include the restoration of the Canton Public Library’s historic Washington Street façade and an architectural study of the historic barn at Pequitside Farm.

The library request was for $38,000 and the CCPC voted to recommend $35,000. Plans call for the removal of the glass entry addition and restoration of the original wooden door, door fixtures, and lampposts as well as repairs to the steps and masonry.

The Pequitside request, submitted by the Conservation Commission and the Playground and Recreation Commission and recommended for full funding at $28,000, is intended to determine the condition of the unused barn and its “potential for renovation as a place of public assembly or for educational purposes.”

The barn is not to be confused with the David Tilden House, or Little Red House, which is the focus of a separate renovation effort and the recipient of past CPA funding.

As for the three requests that address both open space and recreation, the CCPC voted to make a combined allocation of $150,000. The original requests included $75,000 for the development of a comprehensive plan for town walking trails, $73,000 for a design and implementation plan for the Earl Newhouse Waterfront at Reservoir Pond, and $22,000 to update the town’s 20-year-old Open Space and Recreation Plan.

The thinking behind combining the three, according to Comeau, was to encourage the plan sponsors to “work together and create economies of scale.”

“We felt that some of that work could be done at the same time and together,” he said.

The other project recommended for funding in FY18 was an $80,000 request for upgrades at the Rubin Court housing complex, marking the fourth year in a row that the CCPC has approved funds for the Canton Housing Authority. This year’s allotment, if approved at town meeting, would fund the installation of bathroom fans in 38 residential units for low-income senior citizens.

With regard to the Forge Pond trail request that was not approved for any funding, Comeau said there were several concerns with the proposal, including the lack of a town board sponsor, the high cost of the project for a trail of that length (approximately 1,300 feet), and the need to obtain easements.

“We felt the costs were prohibitive and we didn’t feel as if it was something that could be supported at this time,” said Comeau. “We just did not feel that it was ready, but I do think that eventually something will happen.”

Despite the large number of funding requests and the recommended allocation of more than $1 million, Comeau said the town’s CPA account is still in fine shape, with a remaining balance of nearly $600,000 assuming all projects are approved at town meeting.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Dec 30 2016. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.