Community Preservation Committee receives $4.1 million in requests

With state revenue from real estate deed fees and matching amounts on local property tax surcharges dropping by the year, it is becoming more and more difficult for the island's Community Preservation Committee to choose who to fund and how much to allocate to applicants seeking monies for historic preservation, open space conservation/recreation and community housing.

For FY11, the committee has received 21 applications for a total of $4,148,299 in requests and must decide on those proposals by mid- November in preparation for the 2010 Annual Town Meeting warrant. In 2008, the CPC received 25 applications for FY10 and allocated $2.2 million to 16 recipients.

The eight-year-old island CPC last year had a full million dollar loss to its available funds, and while its total for FY11 giving is not yet known, it is anticipated the state match may dip as low as 35 percent compared to 70 percent for FY10. Part of the problem is that real estate sales have slowed dramatically, and also that many more towns have enacted the Community Preservation Act legislation, which diminishes the amount distributed in matches on the three percent tax bill surcharge.

Under community housing, the highest amount sought is from the Nantucket Affordable Housing Trust Fund asking for $900,000 "to provide for the creation and preservation of affordable housing

in perpetuity for year-round, lowand

moderate-income residents." That request is equaled in a twopart application from Habitat for Humanity Nantucket, seeking $650,000 to buy and rehabilitate a home as one becomes available to the organization, and $250,000 to construct a new home.

Other housing-related submissions include a $10,000 request from A Safe Place to assess the feasibility of providing a domestic violence shelter on the island. As it stands now, there are only a few "safe homes" available for victims for very short stays. Longer stays must be made through mainland shelter accommodations.

Housing Nantucket, formerly called the Nantucket Housing Offi ce, is requesting $200,000 for its scattered-site community rental housing program, which utilizes donated homes recycled for this use. The Nantucket Interfaith Council seeks $95,000 to fund its emergency rental assistance program, which has seen a dramatic spike in applicants since the recession struck and eliminated jobs or cut people's hours or pay. The planning commission is asking for $87,517 to fund the third year's pay for its housing planner/specialist position. The position is supervised by the planning director.

Under the category of historic preservation, the largest amount sought is $562,000 from Mariner House on Centre Street to replace its deteriorating roof and siding. The South Church Preservation Fund is requesting $375,000 to repair and restore the Unitarian Church's plaster and decorative painting in its auditorium.

The Museum of African American History, owner of the island's African Meeting House, is asking for $82,050 for repairs needed in the building after a car crashed into its side in 2001, and also to help pay for window repairs. St. Paul's Church seeks $77,900 to preserve 20 stained glass windows and their frames.

The Nantucket Firemen's Association has two submissions. One asks for $160,000 to help restore its 1937 American-LaFrance fire truck, housed in 'Sconset, and the second is for $25,000 to renovate the circa 1890 hose cart house, also in 'Sconset.

The town clerk seeks a total of $79,900 of which $35,000 would go to restoration of historic maps and $44,900 would be used to update its Laserfiche equipment software and server. The equipment is used to retain historic documents. The Nantucket Historical Association seeks $83,582 to digitize its audio and visual collections.

The Department of Public Works is asking for $60,000 to restore the Main Street Civil War Monument. The Artists Association of Nantucket is requesting $21,250 to pay for a part-time staff member to manage its permanent art collection and to cover costs to restore, clean and frame some of the collection pieces.

Under open space preservation/ recreation, the town and Board of Selectmen have two submissions. One is asking $100,000 to "secure open space based on opportunities that could arise outside of the Town Meeting appropriation time frame." The second seeks $10,000 to create a perimeter plan of nine town properties blending them into a single lot to be conveyed to the Land Bank. Authority to do so was voted at the 2007 Annual Town Meeting.

Parks and Recreation is requesting $300,000 for two grass fields to be installed at its pending multiuse field complex off Nobadeer Farm Road. This is an additional amount sought beyond what has already been granted for four playing fields at the site. Parks and Recreation also asks for $20,000 to install a security surveillance system at the Backus Lane skate park as a deterrent to graffiti and vandalism. I