Beverly Seeks Public Input On $1.2 Million Community Preservation Act Spending

BEVERLY, MA — Beverly residents who want to have input into the potential spending of $1.2 million in Community Preservation Act tax collections and state matching funds are invited to learn more about the CPA during an upcoming public hearing.

The city's Community Preservation Committee is hosting the meeting on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers on Cabot Street.

Community Preservation Act funds can be spent on open space and recreational projects, historic preservation and affordable housing. The funds come from a 1 percent surcharge on local property taxes combined with state matching funds.

The city adopted the CPA in 2012 and has since funded 81 projects that were submitted by individuals and groups in the city and then approved by the Community Preservation Committee with the input of residents.

The Committee said there was $1.2 million in local and state revenue deemed available from 2024 revenues, along with additional unspent funds carried over from previous years.

The public hearing will begin with a presentation about the Community Preservation Act, the amount of funding available, the types of projects that are eligible and an overview of projects that the CPA has funded in the past.

Members of the public are encouraged to share their thoughts regarding the needs of the community, priorities and possible projects.

Projects completed over the previous decade in Beverly include improvements to GAR Hall on Dane Street, improvements of local parks and the acquisition of property to remain as open space.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)