MEDFORD — A city committee has its first review of funding requests for the new-to-Medford Community Preservation Act (CPA).
The Medford Community Preservation Committee completed its review of eligibility determination forms submitted for 35 project proposals.
Committee chairperson Roberta Cameron said she and the members were “pleased and impressed with number and quality” of the nearly three dozen project proposals.
Each proposal had to address one of the CPA categories: building or retaining affordable housing; historic preservation; or the creation, retention or acquisition of open space.
The committee moved 31 of the requests to the next round of consideration.
What’s been proposed
Medford has $1.2 million in CPA funds to spend, spent evenly between housing, historic preservation and open space.
In December, the committee approved $300,000 on Harris Park. That funding had to be fast-tracked so the city could secure matching state funds for the project. Medford City Council approved that funding earlier this month.
Project proposals cover a wide range of requests, including one for Condon Shell renovations in West Medford to a bid from Medford Community Housing for $17,000 in funding to cover operating expenses. Another proposal comes from the Medford Historic District Commission seeking $20,000 in funding to do a study on the Medford Square Historic District.
The Medford Historical Commission requested $20,000 to fund a city of Medford archives assessment. Medford Little League asked for $5,000 to pay for dugouts at Columbus Park Baseball Field.
City Community Preservation Coordinator Danielle Evans said every applicant would be afforded the opportunity to make a case for their proposal in public.
“Applicants should do more research and also ask for assistance to make their applications stronger as the rounds proceed,” Evans said. “Those steps would help increase their chances for approval.”
All of the eligibility determination forms for the project proposals may be viewed on the Community Preservation Committee website.
