Potential CPA Projects

Whitman is a perfect community to benefit from the CPA. The way the program disburses money is that a minimum of 10% must be allocated to housing affordability, 10% to historic uses, and 10% to open space / recreation. The remaining 70% can go to any combination of those categories. The money doesn’t need to be spent every year, and most towns maintain revolving accounts. We have historic buildings, landmarks, and an historic downtown. We have an 11 acre Town Park of open space and a 100 acre meadow we’d like to keep open. We have both school and community recreational spaces. We have a housing authority that gets no money from the town and a tax abatement program that could expand. That covers all four categories of eligible expenditures. I’d like to take a minute to highlight some of the projects nearby towns have funded through the CPA as an example of what is possible in Whitman.

Open Space:

Abington has been turning the town owned Griffin Dairy Farm into walking paths and fields. Hanson is currently beginning the process of turning the Plymouth County Hospital site into a park. Hanover funded an Open Space Plan developed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. For Whitman, the most obvious project is to clean up, map out, and maintain the trails at Camp Alice Carleton. We own a 17 acre former girl scout camp and haven’t done much with it. We could maintain some of the open space along Colebrook Boulevard and Hobarts Pond, or expand the path to Lakeview St. We also don’t know what opportunities the town may have to acquire property for open space in the future. Many towns maintain a fund to exercise their right of first refusal to purchase properties.

Historic:

Easton and Hanover each appropriated CPA funds for restoration of Town Offices. Most towns fund restoration and preservation of historic documents, monuments, markers, and cemeteries. Hanson performed a ton of restoration work at Camp Kiwanee. In Whitman, we have an historic Armory behind the Fire Station. CPA could fund anything we choose to do with that building, or any work that needs to be done to the Fire Station, Town Hall, or preservation work at the park or any number of historic buildings. I would probably recommend we start by following our neighbors preserving documents and restoring historical monuments and markers. Then maybe consider any work that needs to be done at either of the two town owned cemeteries.

Housing:

I’ve seen some of the most creative CPA uses with housing funds. Braintree runs an affordable housing mortgage fund. Easton offered rental assistance for families impacted by COVID. Hanson developed their Housing Production Plan with CPA funds. Hanover funds their Affordable Housing Trust, which in turn offers Property Tax Abatements to residents. Hingham, Scituate, and Easton have funded Habitat for Humanity homes. For Whitman I would recommend we begin with planning. I would seek to complete the Economic Development study that was passed over in 2017, and research an Accessory Dwelling ordinance (in-laws) to better handle the “Sandwich Generation” of residents taking care of aging parents and young adults moving home. After initial planning I do believe a lot of the housing funds would work their way back as mortgage assistance or expanded housing stock for the Whitman Housing Authority.

Recreation:

If you’ve seen the pickleball courts behind the Abington Senior Center you know what this kind of funding can be used for. They added 3 courts and lighting recently with CPA funds. Marshfield leveraged CPA funds for a matching grant to build a dog park. Scituate did the same thing. Hanson replaced the docks at Cranberry Cove and funded the recreation area near the High School’s senior parking lot. I’m sure there is no shortage of recreation needs between Whitman-Hanson School fields, Whitman Recreation, Friends of the Park, the Library Trustees, Council on Aging, and WBSA. When I looked back over 5 years, most of the projects we’re already funding come from this category. https://votejustinevans.com/blog/2020/9/5/a-look-at-potential-taxpayer-savings-through-the-community-preservation-act . If we do get the opportunity, it would be nice to join the dog park and pickleball trends.