By Douglas Yu

The city’s Community Preservation Committee (CPC) held two public meetings this month, addressing the public on how the city should prioritize spending Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding. More than 60 Somerville residents attended the meetings to share their testimonies about what projects, including affordable housing, historic preservation, open space and outdoor recreation, the city needs to acquire, create, preserve, support and restore.

In November 2012, 76 percent of the Somerville residents voted to pass the CPA, making Somerville the 155th city in the state to receive a steady funding source aimed at improving and preserving the characteristic and quality of life in the community.

The city-created Community Preservation Fund (CPF) came with the passage of CPA. The funding for the CPF comes from three sources: a 1.5 percent surcharge on net property taxes, municipal revenue and distributions from the state’s Community Preservation Trust.

With the Green Line Extension underway and multiple parts of the city undergoing prominent redevelopment, such as Union Square and Gilman Square, Somerville residents and organizations now have a new chance to design their neighborhood by applying for CPA Funding.

Please visit the city of Somerville’s website for more information.