By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Northborough – Northborough’s Town Common and White Cliffs are current examples of how the Community Preservation Act (CPA) has worked for Northborough.
The CPA was enacted by the state in 2000 to enable cities and towns to raise a local property tax to acquire and protect open space, preserve historic buildings and landscapes and create and maintain affordable housing.
Northborough voters approved the CPA in November 2004 and was approved by Town Meeting the following April. The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) was then established and the following year the committee began to accept applications and appropriate money for qualifying projects.
By law, Town Meeting must annually set aside or spend 10 percent of CPA revenues for open space (including recreation), historic preservation and community housing. The remaining 70 percent of the revenue allocation is up to its residents and municipalities.
Towns and cities that have adopted the CPA are allowed to assess anywhere between 1 to 3 percent of their property tax over $100,000 of value. Northborough’s surcharge is currently 1.5 percent.
The state provides matching funds. When the program began, the state matched 100 percent of participating towns’ surcharges. However, as more and more municipalities are adopting the CPA, the matching levels have decreased. Presently, Northborough sees about 17 percent of its surcharge matched by the state. Northborough’s yearly revenue is in the neighborhood of $500,000 including matching funds.
Town Meeting made a provision for exemptions from the surcharge in its acceptance of the CPA. As such, in addition to the first $100,000 of taxable value of residential real estate, property owned and occupied by a person who qualifies for low-income housing, e.g., a family of four making less than $55,440, or moderate-income senior housing such as a person over 60 making less than $48,510 or $55,440 for a couple, would also be exempt.
Recent CPC appropriations include Historic District Commission expenditures, repairs and restoration to the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, open space Green Street debt service, Northborough Affordable Housing Commission for affordable housing, and the Trails Committee.
“The original size of the Town Common is going to be expanded,” said Town Planner Kathy Joubert. “That’s a huge project in the downtown and very visible. Typically, when people think about open space protection they think about large wooded areas or something that we can put in some trails but this clearly falls under the category of open space.”
Regarding White Cliffs, Joubert noted, “The town went through the process with the CPC to have the funds appropriated to purchase the property so the mansion wouldn’t be torn down. The town outright owns the property and community preservation money will be used going forward to preserve and protect the house.”
The house is secured to protect from damage, vandalism and adverse weather conditions until the recently named re-use committee meets to determine the best use of the property.
The Northborough Affordable Housing Corporation is a very active semi-private entity that is currently restoring two properties in partnership with the CPC, in the center of town with Habitat for Humanity (one of which is the Old Gale General Store).
The Community Preservation Committee is now conducting public hearings on application requests for projects to be decided at the Annual Town Meeting in April. Applicants include the Northborough Free Library, First Parish Church, the Robert E. Melican Middle School (field lighting), and the Town Common. Their next meeting, which is open to the public, will be Thursday, Jan. 4.
For further information about the CPA, visit www.communitypreservation.org.