Mon, Mar 11 at 10:32 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 11, 2024
Contact: Steve Smirti, Director of Communications (ssmirti@medford-ma.gov), 781-885-4296
Medford Funds over $2.5 Million worth of CPA Projects in FY24
Community Preservation Committee to hold annual hearing on March 12
Breakdown of CPA funding by category for fiscal year 2024
(MEDFORD) — Over $2.5 million in funding was approved for sixteen Community Preservation Act projects by the City Council in FY24. The projects range from assisting with housing stability, ADA improvements, park renovations and more.
The full list of projects are:
- Housing Families Homelessness Prevention Program - $69,000
This is a social resource program that helps support low-income families facing homelessness challenges, including assisting with rental arrears payments. - Logan Park Natural Play Area -$229,000
Logan Park’s playground area will see a much-needed update, utilizing natural play elements and surfaces. - Medford Brooks Estate ADA Pathways and Parking - $99,965
This project will create ADA-accessible pathways and parking spaces at the Shepherd Brooks Manor at the Brooks Estate. - Medford Brooks Estate East Elevation Accessibility Updates - $98,275
Renovations to the exterior east elevation access, to create ADA-compliant entry to the Shepherd Brooks Manor at the Brooks Estate. - Tufts Park Basketball Court Resurfacing - $205,525
DPW will resurface the basketball court at Tufts Park, which currently has cracks and ice heave/water erosion damage. - Capen Park Basketball Court Resurfacing - $106,625
DPW will resurface the basketball court at Capen Park, which currently has cracks and ice heave/water erosion damage. - Oak Grove Cemetery Buildings Restoration - $200,000
After funding conditions assessments on the historic Caretakers and Garage buildings, the CPC is funding the initial phase of restoration to obtain construction drawings and documents. This is an ongoing project that will span multiple years. - Oak Grove Cemetery Access Road Study - $50,000
This project will fund a study and design of an access road, to the historic section of Oak Grove. This section is currently only accessible via pedestrian traffic. - Cross Street Cemetery Conditions Assessment - $4,800
The Historical Commission will undergo a light conditions assessment of headstones in the Cross Street Cemetery section of historic Oak Grove cemetery. - Salem Street Burying Ground Restoration Study - $10,000
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Salem Street Burying Ground’s perimeter wall is in need of restoration. The CPC elected to fund a restoration study, to ensure that period-appropriate restoration treatments are applied.
- Shiloh Baptist Church ADA Improvements - $145,000
A prominent historical building in West Medford, Shiloh Baptist Church will become ADA-accessible with the installation of an elevator. - Royall House Roof and Gutter Restoration - $115,000
A prominent historical property and home to one of the few standing slave quarters in the Northeast, the main Royall House will undergo roofing and gutter restoration work. - Thomas Brooks Park Archaeological Cap - $5,000
As part of a phased restoration effort at Thomas Brooks Park in the Brooks Estate, the Historical Commission will be installing an archaeological cap at the site to protect and preserve the original site of the Thomas Brooks House. - McGlynn School Universally Accessible Playground - $400,000
The Office of Planning, Development, and Sustainability is implementing the city’s first universally-accessible playground, for children and residents of all abilities to engage in recreation and play. - Walkling Court Predevelopment Design - $800,000
The CPC supports the Walking Court project, which will generate 94 additional deeply affordable units for Medford residents, for a total of 238 units. - Condon Shell Electrical Upgrade - $3,276
Medford Recreation Department utilized this funding to conduct some needed electrical upgrades at the Condon Shell, to create a more efficient and usable recreation space.
Also, the Community Preservation Committee is holding its Annual Hearing on Tuesday, March 12th. Residents and business owners are encouraged to give feedback on community needs and priorities. For those who can’t attend the Annual Hearing, the CPC invites everyone to attend listening sessions during the month of March, or to provide feedback via the CPA feedback survey, which is open now through March 31, 2024. Information can be found at https://www.medfordma.org/boards-commissions/community-preservation-committee.
CPA funds are distributed each year through a grant application process. City departments, organizations, and community members can apply for projects that benefit the Medford community. Public feedback will be utilized when the CPC considers the next application round, which will open on July 8, 2024. There are currently two open seats on the CPC. Submit an application form at https://medfordma.org/boards-commissions.
About the CPA
The Community Preservation Act was adopted by Medford voters in 2015, approving a 1.5% surcharge on real estate taxes. The first $100,000 of property value is exempt from the calculation; in 2024, the average single-family homeowner in Medford pays $85.48 annually in CPA surcharge. The CPA fund also receives state match money annually; this match varies from year to year, averaging 20% of the total revenue raised at the local level.
This results in an average of approximately $2 million per year to fund projects focusing on Historic Preservation, Affordable Housing support, and Open Space/Recreation. CPA legislation dictates that a minimum of 10% of the annual CPA allotment be dedicated to each of the three categories, 5% to administrative program costs, and the remaining 65% can be spent amongst the three categories. Over half of municipalities in Massachusetts have had voters adopt the Community Preservation Act, since the Commonwealth adopted the state law in 2000.
Since the first funding round in 2018, Medford has reinvested nearly $12 million into over 95 community projects.
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Steve Smirti
Director of Communications | Office of Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn
Medford City Hall
85 George P Hassett Dr, Medford, MA 02155
781-393-2529 (office)
781-885-4296 (mobile)
Please note: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts considers most electronic communications to and from public employees to be public records and disclosable under the Massachusetts Public Records Law and its regulations. *Please consider the environment before printing this email.*
Please note: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts considers most electronic communications to and from public employees to be public records and disclosable under the Massachusetts Public Records Law and its regulations. *Please consider the environment before printing this email.*
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