Community Preservation Committee celebrates 20 years
Dec 30, 2023
The main factory building of the Tremont Nail Factory was one of the properties purchased with community preservation act funding. Photo by Madison Czopek
This sign, posted outside the driving range on Sandwich Road, shows community involvement in the community preservation committe’s quest to purchase Little Harbor Country Club and preserve the property. File photo
Jojo Sherman, Keegan Kaulbfleisch and Nathan Coppolino enjoy the grand opening of the new Joseph W. Conway Memorial Playground in May 2023. The play ground was renovated with community preservation act funding. Photo by Wes Cipolla
Joan Lukey speaks in November 2017 during the grand opening of Lukey Community Park, named after her father. The park was rebuilt with the help of volunteers and community preservation act funding. Photo by Matthew Bernat
The features of a town such as Wareham — be they recreation spaces, affordable housing or places of environmental conservation — don’t happen naturally. They take the work of dedicated volunteers, such as the Community Preservation Committee, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023.
The committee funds projects in Wareham related to four areas of community preservation: affordable housing, historic preservation, open space and recreation.
It's funded through a state law, the Community Preservation Act. Under that act, towns in Massachusetts can collect a three percent surcharge on the real estate taxes for properties over $100,000, and the state matches that money with funds collected from real estate transactions, explained treasurer of the community preservation committee Sandra Slavin.
Wareham voters approved its participation in the statewide program in 2002, and the Community Preservation Committee began its work the next year.
Longtime resident and conservationist Mary McFadden led Wareham's efforts to found a Community Preservation Committee and to use the act's money, said committee member Sam Corbitt. "She had a small dedicated group that went to meetings all over the state, held signs, went door to door, spoke with any group that would let us speak about [the Community Preservation Act]," he said.
The Community Preservation Committee receives and reviews requests for the Community Preservation Act monies, and awards grants to projects which relate to one of its four categories of community preservation. Town Meeting then approves the grants.
Each of its four areas of interest has received significant investment during the committee's 20 year history. The committee has funded the purchase of land as open space in partnership with the Wareham Land Trust, it has done work on historical buildings such as the Fearing Tavern and it has funded repairs at community buildings such as the American Legion building and Town Hall, said Slavin.
Slavin said she's most pleased about the committee's support of open space, as well as the four neighborhood playgrounds that the committee has created or renovated: Lukey Community Park and Playground in Hathaway, the Oakdale Playground, the Shangri La Playground and the Joseph W. Conway Sr. Memorial Playground in Swifts Beach.
"I think they're going to get the best of use by a wide variety of the residents of the Town of Wareham," said Slavin.
Corbitt highlighted the Little Harbor Country Club and the Tremont Nail Factory as projects made possible by the Community Preservation Committee. Both were purchased by the town using Community Preservation Act funding as important places needing preservation.
The town is working to redevelop the Tremont Nail Factory property. "It's not much now, but it will be in the future," said Corbitt.
"There's just a tremendous amount that has been done with our Community Preservation Act funding," said Slavin.
