Younger: Costs may hurt CPA adoption in Swampscott

SWAMPSCOTT – Adoption of the Community Preservation Act could give Swampscott leverage in holding onto some of its historic buildings, but Town Administrator Tom Younger said residents may not vote for the extra expense.The Community Preservation Act allows towns whose residents pay a membership fee of a one to three percent surcharge on their property taxes to create a local fund for preserving and restoring open space, historic preservation, affordable housing and outdoor recreation projects, and the state can provide matching grants.Katherine Roth, associate director of the Community Preservation Coalition, said at an informational meeting Tuesday at the public library that the state could provide more with surplus funds received in 2013, but Younger said even with the extra funds the act had received, the $100 to $200 it would cost most homeowners may deter voters.?The key thing here is it?s a 27 percent match, and it used to be a 100 percent match,” said Younger. “I think that?s much more a factor than it had been.”One part of the act that appealed to some audience members was the ability to use CPA funds to assist a developer who had respect for a historic building to restore it into an affordable housing development rather than a condominium development.?I think it would be a very good tool for Swampscott to use for development,” said Sylvia Belkin, a Historical Commission and Planning Board member. She added that the Greenwood Avenue development was “a perfect example” where the town could have exercised that kind of leverage.Town Planner Pete Kane said the Planning Board invited Roth to speak because there was an increase in interest about the CPA at meetings. He added that the town had voted down the act in the past.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].