(Part 2 in a series submitted by the Community Preservation Committee)
You learned in the first article what the Community Preservation Act (CPA) & Community Preservation Committee (CPC) are, and how they benefit Bedford. How have the funds been spent over the years?
Here’s a sampling of projects that CPC funds have helped accomplish. (For the curious, the complete project list since adoption.)
Under the category of “historic preservation,” CPC was able to make necessary updates to preserve Old Town Hall. Town archivist Ashley Large recently received funding to restore irreplaceable historic town documents.
“The CPC has been integral to most of the major projects we’ve taken on in the last several years. I feel very lucky to work in a town with this type of committee and community spirit,” she said.
Two items that recently received conservation treatment at the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) were church records from 1756 and 1796 from what is now First Parish on the Common. (Pictured below)
Perhaps you’re a Pickleball enthusiast who now plays next to the John Glenn Middle School, or an outdoor lover who enjoys the beautiful Fawn Lake. Maybe you’ve had the opportunity to use the Davis Boardwalk, making that stretch of town accessible and safe, or enjoyed Page Field or Springs Brook Park with your children. These all fall into the “recreation and open space” categories.
CPC contributions to the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust allowed the town to move quickly in 2022 and purchase a three-bedroom home on Winterberry Way, subsequently partnering with Habitat for Humanity to renovate that house for a new family to live in Bedford.
In 2018, CPC funds contributed to securing Bedford Village’s ability to remain in Bedford’s affordable housing stock in perpetuity.
Do you have an idea for something to add to Bedford’s charm? CPC Project Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. (The committee reviews and provides guidance in conjunction with upcoming Town Meeting deadlines.) CPC volunteers’ favorite parts of being on the committee are hearing interesting and fun ideas for community enrichment, and then seeing those ideas become a reality.
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