Commission discusses Community Preservation Act application for ADA beach mats at Clear Pond

Members discussed a possible Community Preservation Act (CPA) application to purchase ADA beach mats for Clear Pond and agreed to proceed if the total requirement would cost below a simple threshold determined during the meeting. Staff reported vendor prices: a 50-foot by 5-foot beach mat priced at about $2,400 and a 50-foot by ~3.25-foot mat at $1,600; ADA-compliant walkways typically must be five feet wide. Commission members asked staff to measure the beach walkway and estimate how many 50-foot mats would be required. One commissioner proposed applying to CPA if needed mat length is less than 500 feet (which would be 10 mats at the 50-foot length); staff said that if fewer than that number were required they would submit an application prior to the oct. 9 CPA application deadline. Commissioners noted CPC/CPA rules and that CPA funds are competitive and that some projects are likely to be prioritized over others; they discussed whether dugout repair would be eligible (staff said she did not believe dugout repair would qualify). The commission instructed staff to measure and, if the mats needed total less than the agreed threshold, prepare an application for the CPA round due Oct. 9.