NEWS: CPC Recommends Funding 6 Projects for $356,600

Richard Hewitt, Chairman of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) advised Selectmen that they received seven requests for limited CPC funds for this Spring Town Meeting, and that six of them were approved by the committee, two of which were reduced by the committee. He said that the first round from the state is a 23 percent match and he is hopeful and expects multiple rounds this year.

CPC will recommend the following to voters at Town Meeting: $41,000 for site evaluation for the new Ledge Rock playing field-(the $309,000 for the site coming from the Unallocated Reserve is still on hold until there are matching funds); $11,000 for the Mile Stone Restoration - a series of stone markers that were installed in 1902/1903 along roadways leading to Groton Center; $100,000 for the Conservation Commission Fund, down from the original $200,000 that was requested (Hewitt noted that last year Con Com did not ask for any funds - allowing the monies to go to Park Department projects); $110,000 of the request for $170,500 for the stabilization and erosion prevention for Sargisson's Beach; $47,000 for the Country Club Driving Range for repair and refurbishment; $47,618 for increased hours for the Housing Coordinator - from 19 to 25 hours including salary and benefits.

CPC did not approve a request for $52,000 for Baddacook Pond Revitalization and clean up, citing the fact that the Water Commissioners were not in agreement on this. Baddacook Pond is also the location of the town's public drinking water from the Baddaccok Well. They recommended that the parties involved meet and work this out.

Selectman Josh Degen asked if the items could be reordered so that if one of the requests was not approved, the funds could be used to add to those that were reduced. Hewitt told the Board that the COC has a process for out of sequence applications and this could be used if there are funds available.

At the end of the meeting, Chairman Peter Cunningham, Anna Eliot, Stuart Schulman and Jack Petropoulos supported all six recommendations. Degen was in favor of all of them with the exception of the driving range refurbishment.