Nahant to hold community preservation board meeting

NAHANT – The Community Preservation Committee is holding a public meeting on Monday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall to discuss Community Preservation funding opportunities and CPC projects.The town passed the Community Preservation Act (CPA) in 2004. Its passage allows the town to tack a 3 percent surcharge of the real estate tax levy onto property taxes and the money goes into the town Community Preservation Fund.The CPA allows money in the fund to be spent for historic preservation, open space and affordable housing. It requires 10 percent of the money raised by the surcharge to be spent in each of those three categories and the remaining 70 percent could be spent in any of the three categories.According to Lynne Spencer, who is on the Community Preservation Committee, the meeting is to share information about CPA funding opportunities in town and generate ideas from residents and organizations for grant projects.Spencer said grant applications for the upcoming year must be submitted by Jan. 31 so they can be reviewed by the committee, which would make a presentation at the annual Town Meeting in April.Spencer said money from the CPA has been used for Ellingwood Chapel in Greenlawn Cemetery, restrooms in the garage at the Nahant Lifesaving Station for beachgoers and improvements to the Spindrift.Improvements to the Town Wharf, which are being paid for with CPA funds, are expected to get underway this spring.