Public Hearing Scheduled for Input on CPA

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was adopted by Salem voters in November, 2012. The act established a local dedicated fund, financed by a voter-approved property tax surcharge and matching funds from the statewide CPA Trust Fund, to undertake open space, historic preservation, outdoor recreation, and community housing projects.

Implementation of the CPA in Salem is overseen by City's Community Preservation Committee (CPC), which is composed of representatives from the City's Conservation Commission, Historical Commission, Planning Board, Park & Recreation Commission and Salem Housing Authority, along with appointees from the Mayor and the City Council.

As part of its responsibilities, the CPC annually updates its Community Preservation Plan. The plan includes guidance and criteria for selecting projects. To aid in the update of the plan, the CPC has scheduled a public information hearing for Tuesday, October 8th at 6:00pm via remote participation with instructions to be posted to www.salemma.gov no later than October 1, 2024. The purpose of the hearing is to give the public an opportunity to comment on Salem's needs, opportunities, and resources in regard to open space, historic preservation, outdoor recreation, and community housing. After the public hearing, a draft FY25 Community Preservation Plan will be prepared and made available for public comment. Following, the CPC will solicit project proposals, review submitted applications and recommend projects to the City Council for funding. The deadline for the next round of proposals is estimated for mid-March 2025.

"This upcoming funding round will see Salem surpass $11 million in total CPA awards since its adoption," Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo said, "Since the first projects were approved in 2014, the CPA has supported the creation and preservation of more than 400 affordable housing units in Salem, assisted in the preservation of more than 27 historic resources., and has been instrumental in the renovation and improvement of 10 City parks, 5 playgrounds, a playing field, a skate park, trails, a pier and community gardens in Salem."

In addition to the public hearing, written comments may be sent to the Department of Planning and Community Development, 98 Washington St., Salem, MA 01970 by October 20, 2024. Information on the CPA can be found at http://www.salemma.gov/community-preservation-committee.