Lowell subcommittees approve Community Preservation Act funding recommendations and request report on raising surcharge

Lowell subcommittees on Wednesday approved a slate of Community Preservation Act funding recommendations that would allocate CPA dollars to multiple housing and historic‑preservation projects and asked city staff for a formal report on options to change the city’s CPA surcharge and exemptions.

The vote, taken by the joint neighborhood and finance subcommittees, accepted Department of Planning and Development and Community Preservation Committee recommendations to fund housing projects including a Coalition for a Better Acre proposal for Cross Street ($220,000), Mass Mills Phase 4 ($125,000), Suffolk Place LLC ($200,000) and an East End Club residence at West Fourth LLC ($20,000). The subcommittees also recommended historic‑preservation awards including Novus Properties LLC ($125,000 for work at 246.1 Market St.), Saint Anne’s Church ($256,000), New Royal LLC (approximately $200,000 for the Royal Theater/44 Merrimack Street project), Farley White Management (smokestack repairs at Wanalansett Mills, fully funded) and a $75,000 recommendation for repairs at 32 Bridge Street.

The recommendations were approved on a roll call vote after presentations from city staff and project representatives. Councilor Scott moved to forward the recommendations and Councilor Jeunesse seconded; the motion passed by roll call.

Why it matters: CPA money in Lowell supports three buckets — community housing, historic preservation and open space — and local decisions about the surcharge and exemptions directly affect how much revenue the program can allocate and the size of the state…