The March 31 meeting of the Mattapoisett Community Preservation Act Committee was held to finalize their 2025 grant reviews and to discuss possible allocation of funds to a housing category.
Chairman Chuck McCullough said that the category for housing had been rather stagnant for a number of years, and even though area-wide discussions over the lack of housing, especially any that might be defined as affordable, took place, little had been done to move the needle on housing units.
He suggested to the committee that the sum of $250,000 be moved from undesignated funds to housing funds. The committee voted in the affirmative. The total now allocated for housing-related grant requests now stands at $161,404.67. Town Meeting must approve the transfer of monies from undesignated to housing.
McCullough had prepared a spreadsheet capturing all money now being held in various Community Preservation funds. Those are Open Space and Recreation $55,459.00, Historic $30,159.00, and undesignated $1,085,606.20 (before possible transfer as previously noted).
Grant applications total $113,044. The applications are: Mattapoisett Museum Carriage Shed ADA access being requested under the Historic category $45,000; Hammond Cemetery restoration $10,000; Historical Survey Phase 3 $30,000; Florence Eastman American Legion Post renovations $10,544; and, Old Hammondtown School Community Garden (requested by the Marion Institute) $17,500.
All grant applications must receive Town Meeting support to be funded.
Mattapoisett’s Spring Town Meeting is scheduled for May 12 at 6:30 pm.
Mattapoisett Community Preservation
By Marilou Newell