Southborough CPC opens FY27 Community Preservation Act application cycle; deadline Sept. 15

The Town of Southborough Community Preservation Committee announced at a June 18 public forum that the FY27 Community Preservation Act application and handbook will be posted online Monday and that applications are due Sept. 15.

The committee’s chair, Lisa Rocchio, said the Community Preservation Act is a “smart growth tool” to preserve open space and historic sites, create community housing and develop outdoor recreation facilities. “The applications… will be online Monday at the latest. So if you are interested in doing an application, you have from then until September 15 just to get your applications,” Rocchio said.

The forum explained how CPA surcharge revenue is divided. The committee reiterated the statutory allocation and local policy: 10% each to open space, historic preservation and community housing; up to 5% for administration; and the remainder to budgeted reserve. Recreation is not a separate mandated bucket and is funded from the undesignated/reserve CPA fund, Rocchio said.

Freddie, the town accountant, clarified timing for the overall CPA fund balance: “Our town accountant needs to buy out the books after year end…and until she does that…she can’t give us just a set number.” He said the committee will receive a complete fund balance before the fall application review season.

Committee members reviewed the surcharge and state match history. Rocchio said local surcharges to date total about $6,186,869 and the state match has been “almost $2.5 million.” She noted the state match rate varies: historically the Town’s cumulative match has averaged close to 39 percent, and in November 2024 the match was about 18 percent.

Rocchio and members listed recent Southborough projects funded with CPA dollars, including South Union School historic designation and playground work, library restoration, Mooney Field and tennis-court lighting, Chestnut Hill Farm preservation, restoration of burial grounds, and trail work through the Peninsula Trail.

The committee reviewed applicant responsibilities and application materials. Rocchio emphasized applicants should identify the CPA category (open space, historic preservation, recreation, or community housing), provide a project budget and explain maintenance plans. “The CPPA cannot fund maintenance,” she said, adding committees expect applicants to present a plan for ongoing care of funded assets.

Rocchio directed interested applicants to Chapter 44B of Massachusetts law for statutory eligibility rules and said the committee will post the presentation and application materials on the town website. She encouraged applicants to attend CPC meetings when their projects are reviewed and to be prepared to answer questions at town meeting.

The committee held a short Q&A with attendees about fund balances, outreach to town boards and committees and past projects. Members urged stakeholders to share master-plan goals and long-range project lists with CPC to help align funding and capital planning.

Questions about senior and low-income exemptions and the precise CPA fund balance were referred to the town assessor and town accountant, respectively; both were noted as “see town website” or “will be provided before application processing.”

The forum concluded with a reminder of the application deadline and the committee’s plan to post the application and handbook online Monday.