The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is recommending the City Council approve the use of Community Preservation Act funds for two uses in the latest round of funding.
“At its 19 May 2022 meeting, the Community Preservation Committee recommended approval of two applications for referral to the Council,” stated CPC Chair Juan Vega. Those recommendations are $50,000 for the Walnut Street Synagogue and $53,000 for the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development.
The money for the Congregation Agudas Sholom would help pay for repairs to the synagogue, and the community development money would go toward help paying for a housing and community preservation coordinator.
“This is one of the happiest moments here when we are able to provide funding to, in this case, historic resources from the CPA to the local historical building the Sholom on Walnut Street for some much needed repairs,” said City Council President Roy Avellaneda.
He said the CPA funds help organizations that might not otherwise be able to fund much needed repairs.
“We want to continue to keep life in these buildings so we can continue to keep our character and our history here,” said District 8 Councilor Calvin Brown.
The Walnut Street Synagogue is continuing critical repairs to the 4th Street facade to repoint brickwork and prevent structural deterioration due to water infiltration.
The money for the housing and community preservation coordinator represents one-third of the cost over two years to support the position. The position provides staff support to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board and Community Preservation Committee, as well as administrative support to several housing related programs administered by the housing and community development department.
Chelsea voters voted to adopt the provisions of the Community Preservation Act in 2016. The act imposes a 1.5 percent surcharge on residential and commercial properties with exemptions for low- and moderate-income homeowners as well as an exemption on the first $100,000 of property value.
“The CPA has approximately $1.96 million in available funds for the 2022 fiscal year,” stated Vega. “Per the Community Preservation Plan, 25 percent of the fiscal year funds are allocated to both Open Space/Recreation and Historic Preservation, while 40 percent is allocated to Affordable Housing. The remaining 10 percent is utilized as administrative and undesignated funds.”