Community Preservation Committee accepting grant proposals
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Northborough - Town Planner Kathy Joubert estimated that about $700,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds are available this year for projects and programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 that will help preserve open space and historic sites, and create aff ordable housing.

Last year, with about the same amount available, the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) approved eight of the 11 projects submitted, allocating at total of $656,000.

The CPA provides the funds through a mix of town funding and a state match for proposals that address three core community concerns - acquisition/preservation of open space/recreation, creation and support of community housing, and the acquisition and preservation of historic buildings and landscapes.

Deadline for CPA proposals is 10 a.m. Thursday Nov. 29 in the town's Planning Department office, 63 Main St.

A public hearing will be held in January 2008 to review the proposals submitted. The vote of which projects to approve is tentatively planned for March 2008. Final approval of projects will be made by Northborough voters at the annual Town Meeting.

Of the $681,000 available CPA funds for FY 2007, $372,500 was placed in the Community Preservation Open Space Reserve for the purpose of future open space acquisitions. In addition, $80,000 was placed in the Community Preservation Historic Resources Reserve for future historical property acquisitions, and $68,000 was sent to the Aff ordable Housing Reserve.

Other CPA grant applications approved for FY 2007 included: $52,000 for the replacement of the Town Hall gymnasium floor; $35,000 for the installation of an irrigation system and other improvements to the athletic fields at Melican Middle School; and $30,000 for Phase Two of the Historical Commission's comprehensive survey of the town's historical buildings and sites.