Following months of narrowing down the possibilities, the Community Preservation Committee has put forth seven project recommendations—totalling $4.9 million in Community Preservation Act funds—for Town Meeting to consider next month.
The Community Preservation Act, signed into law in 2000 and adopted by Belmont in 2010, allows the town to impose a 1.5% surcharge on local real estate taxes to provide a funding source for open space, community housing, and historic resources.
Whatever a community raises, the state matches. In addition to funding pots for those three categories, a reserve account is created. Typically, Belmont reserves 20% and allocates the remaining 80% to projects submitted by applicants, who can be anyone from individuals in town to large organizations.
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“The CPC is not just here for large institutions but for these small ideas that really will make the town a richer place,” said Juliet Jenkins, secretary of the committee.
This year, of the $4.9 million recommended for allocation, a little less than $400,000 will come from the town’s CPA reserve to account for potential cost increases created by any tariffs that may be implemented.
Last year, the Community Preservation Committee, which is responsible for reviewing applications and recommending projects to Town Meeting, allocated just under $2 million. With more money available to allocate this year, partly as a result of pushing back projects in previous years, the town has a bit more than usual to spend, according to Chair Aaron Pikcilingis.
Pikcilingis and Jenkins explained that individuals and organizations can submit applications in the fall, after which the CPC evaluates them for eligibility. Relevant bodies are asked for input, such as the Historic Commission in the case of projects hoping to receive funding from the historic preservation bucket.
Once the committee determines eligibility, the next step is to submit the final applications. This involves fleshing out the proposal and homing in on specific budget numbers together.
In January, the committee voted on its recommendations for Town Meeting, resulting in seven projects:
- Chenery Park renovation: $2 million, plus $200,000 in reserve funding
- Clay Pit Pond walking path, complete design with construction documents and drawings: $100,000
- West of Harris softball field rehabilitation: $429,433, plus $42,900 in reserves
- Predevelopment planning for redevelopment of Belmont Village: $650,000
- Restoration of “Burial Hill” original cemetery, design: $60,000
- Homer Building restoration (Town Hall annex): $550,396, plus $55,000 in reserves
- Restore failed retaining wall at Town Hall: $750,000, plus $75,000 in reserves
“Any CPA funds are only eligible for housing if it produces more affordable housing,” noted Pikcinlingis, referring to the redevelopment plan for Belmont Village. “The goal was to create 110 new units in the same footprint … replacing them with larger, nicer, and more numerous housing units.”
Jenkins pointed to resident Ron Sacca’s application for the restoration of the historic Burial Hill cemetery in Belmont Cemetery as an example of a project led by a single individual with a passion rather than a large group. The project involves surveying existing headstones, identifying which ones require repair, and preparing restoration plans.
The Clay Pit pond is another grassroots project, she said. This entails the completion of the walking path that was deferred because of the construction of Belmont Middle and High School.
The West of Harris Field project, meanwhile, was submitted jointly by Superintendent of Schools Jill Geiser and Town Administrator Patrice Garvin. This project seeks to revitalize and improve the softball field located at 221 Concord Ave., west of Harris Field. The project plans have been designed to work in conjunction with ongoing work on the municipal skating rink.
The largest ask before Town Meeting will be to fund Phase II of the Chenery Park complex project. The complex, which includes two softball fields, grass fields, a paved area with basketball hoops, and a playground, is located at the Chenery Upper Elementary School. Submitted by Community Services Director Brandon Fitts on behalf of the town, the project aims to renovate and revitalize the park.
Town Meeting is scheduled to begin Monday, May 5, at the Belmont High School auditorium.
