Town Government &
  Services:

Committees Home Page

Community Preservation Committee

CPC Projects

CPC Funds

Minutes

Committees: Community Preservation Committee

2008 Annual Report

Nine members comprise the Community Preservation Committee – one each appointed by and from the Conservation Commission, the Planning Board, the Historical Commission, the Housing Authority and the Board of Selectmen, and four citizens at large, two appointed by the Board of Selectmen and two by the Moderator. The Committee reviews applications submitted by Town bodies and citizens at large for funding projects involving the acquisition of open space, historic resources, and low and moderate income housing and makes recommendations to Town Meeting regarding the use of the Town’s Community Preservation Fund for those purposes. That fund is composed of a 1.5% surtax on Town real estate taxes effective beginning July 1, 2001, state matching grants payable each October 15th based on the surtax revenues for the fiscal year ending the prior June 30th, and interest on the accumulated funds. The total amount that will have been collected by the Fund through June 30, 2009 will be approximately $8,008,000 including a total of $3,562,553 in state grants. The Community Preservation Act requires that at least 10% of each year’s Community Preservation revenues be spent or set aside for each of the three Community Preservation categories. The remaining 70% is available spending on any one or more of the categories as the Committee and Town Meeting see fit.

The Committee recommended two Open Space acquisitions to 2008 Town Meeting. Voters continued to support the protection of the Town’s scenic vistas and areas of critical environmental concern by authorizing the purchase of the 3.3 acre Amonte property, a wildlife habitat and passive recreation area abutting the Weir River Estuary ($492,500); and the acquisition of the Mobil station on Hingham Harbor ($1,850,000).

Town Meeting also voted to support three historic preservation projects: (1) restore and preserve the “Hingham” sign located at the Hingham Public Library and create a weather-sturdy replica sign to take its place ($10,620); (2) Phase 1 of a project to catalog, preserve and digitize the Town’s historical documents and artifacts ($40,000); (3) inventory, repair and preserve gravestones at the 17th century Liberty Plain Cemetery ($21,500).

In the Community Housing category, Town Meeting approved three projects to create and preserve Community Housing: (1) construct a single family home on Nokomis Road ($85,000); (2) transfer of funds approved at 2006 Town Meeting to the Hingham Housing Authority Trust to develop a pilot home repair loan program for income eligible homeowners ($175,000); (3) transfer a sum of money to fund the newly-established Hingham Housing Authority Trust ($225,000).

As of the writing of this report, the Community Preservation Committee is proposing four projects for approval at 2009 Town Meeting. By the end of FY09 Hingham’s Community Preservation Fund will have approximately $1,035,000 available including a projected $191,000 to be added in October 2009 when the state match is delivered.

The Committee wishes to thank Todd Bernstein for serving as the Conservation Commission appointee for the past year. The Committee also wishes to convey thanks to Tom Maloney for his contributions to community preservation over the past six years. As one of the original members of Hingham’s CPC, Tom supported numerous projects, most notably the restoration of Whitney Wharf, development of the Master Plan for Hingham Harbor and the Hingham Square Master Plan, connecting the Harbor and the Square. The Committee also wishes to acknowledge the service of Judy Cole. As the CPC’s first Chair in 2002, Judy led the committee through the inevitable challenges faced by a start-up organization. Processes and procedures developed under her leadership remain the underpinnings for the CPC in 2008.

Finally, the Committee welcomes new Conservation Commission appointee Eugene Babin, and Moderator appointee Sally Weston.

Community Preservation Committee Questionnaire

Please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire regarding Hingham´s open space, affordable housing, historic places, .....and it´s future. Click here for the questionnaire, fill in the form boxes, print out the form, and mail your completed questionnaire to the Community Preservation Committee, c/o the Town Clerk, 210 Central Street, Hingham, MA 02043.

Community Preservation Committee´s 2009-2010 Application for Funding of projects related to the Community Preservation Act. This application is available to all residents seeking to have proposals funded by the Community Preservation Committee.