By Adam Swift
The city’s community preservation committee has sent eight recommendations for funding from the Community Preservation Fund to the city council. The council sent those recommendations to a ways and means subcommittee meeting before coming back to the full council for potential approval of the funding. The Community Preservation Act imposes a 1.5 percent surcharge on residential and commercial properties which is used to help fund open space/recreation, historic preservation, and affordable housing projects in the city. It was approved by Chelsea voters in 2016. The CPA currently has approximately $2.4 million in available funds for Fiscal Year 2025. In November, the community preservation committee recommended funding for:
A skate park at the Mystic River Overlook Park, $70,000
A Sunflower Garden Project, $72,620
Chelsea Black Heritage Walking Tour and Trail, $70,000
Governor Bellingham-Cary House Envelope Preservation Project, $215,000
Preservation Restriction Research for Temple Emmanuel, $20,000
Lewis H. Latimer Archive and Preservation of the Lewis Latimer Society Holdings, $75,000
Affordable Housing Project, Orange Street, $200,000
Affordable Housing Project, Broadway, $300,000
At Monday night’s city council meeting, Matt Frank, the president of the Governor Bellingham-Cary House, spoke in favor of the project at the house, as well as the use of CPA funds in general to preserve open space, historical sites, and affordable housing.
“I would say that recently, this city has really put a lot of stress on history,” said Frank. “The Governor Bellingham-Cary House has been around for 350 years … and one of our goals when I became president in the spring … was to make sure that we will be here for at least another 350 years.” The building improvements slated for the house will in turn make it more accessible for the public and help create greater opportunities for greater outreach about the house and the city’s history, Frank said. “By having a house that is structurally sound, it allows us to turn around and open the house up more,” he said.
“Currently, we have a very hard time even opening the front door because it is a very old, ancient door and it takes a lot to make sure it is open.” Frank also serves as the chair of the city’s historical commission, and said all the city’s historical sites need support. “We have so much in this city that other cities don’t have,” he said. “What gives us character is our history.”