Community Preservation Committee Preps to Make Project Recommendations

FRAMINGHAM - The Framingham Community Preservation Committee held a meeting on Monday, February 26 to review local projects eligible for state grants.

A total of 15 applications for funding within the city through the Community Preservation Act (CPA) have been submitted for the 2024 fiscal year. Property tax surcharges and matching state money are combined through the program to create affordable housing, preserve historic structures, and develop open recreational space.

The committee’s task is to review the applications and make recommendations to the Framingham City Council on how to distribute CPA money. Members of the committee are in the middle of their considerations on how to proceed, as they debriefed Monday to see how much money can be allocated for the projects.

The largest request submitted in Framingham for FY 2024 was a total of $1 million for construction work at Reardon Park. Documents submitted to the Community Preservation Committee show expenditures such as site prep, installing a playground and water play areas, along with the development of parking and utilities as part of the scope of work for the park project, which was priced at about $2.3 million as of October 27, 2023.

Members of the committee mentioned during the meeting that they may pick just certain aspects of that playground work to pay for through the CPA.

Another major proposal on the table is work related to Athenaeum Hall along with the fire house building adjacent to it. The Athenaeum hasn’t been utilized in close to three decades, and members of the committee said they would be looking to local and state stakeholders to see how the CPA funding can initiate a long-term preservation project for the historic building.

“If we were to put more money into the future, I think it should be with the commitment of the city to say, ‘We will be responsible for this building. If you help us to upgrade it, we will take the responsibility to make sure that it stays in good condition,’” Vice Chair of the committee Karen Margolis said during Monday’s meeting.

Some committee members noted that the fluid nature of the municipal government could make any vows related to the Athenaeum tough to stick, though others mentioned that advocacy groups such as Friends of Saxonville have made the hall’s restoration a goal for the community.

The committee will hold a public meeting at the Memorial Building on Monday, March 18 at 7 p.m. to solicit feedback on all of the potential CPA projects. Final reviews will be conducted at that point, as the committee will vote on their recommendations.