SOUTHWICK – The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is hosting a public forum Oct. 9 at Town Hall at 7 p.m.
CPC member Dennis Clark said he hopes residents – even those who do not support the Community Preservation Act – participate in the informative forum.
“Every year the CPC attempts to have a public forum and since 2002, I don’t think we’ve gotten more tham one person to come,” Clark said. “With the help of the Southwick Select Board, we’re hoping people will come.”
The CPC wants to talk about what makes living in Southwick special. Many residents love the rural character of their town – the woodlands, Congamond Lakes, farmland, brooks, the picturesque terrain, and open views – the sense of a small community that balances its developmental needs with the environment.
This is where Southwick’s CPC focuses its efforts. The role of the Community Preservation Committee includes: preservation and protection of Southwick’s open spaces, preservation and protection of historical sites and structures, creation recreational areas, and creating and providing opportunity for affordable housing. Local CPC funds are matched with state funds, thus the financial burden for projects becomes a combination of local and state support.
Some of the projects completed over the years include: saving farmland and scenic vistas, restoring habitats on conservation land, preserving historical records, sites and structures and making community housing affordable by installing energy efficient windows and affordable heating systems.
The CPC is currently working on saving more farmland, which will also save scenic vistas, preserving Town historical documents and providing affordable housing.
Clark said preservation of agricultural land and open space is his top interest, adding that for the five percent the town is required to invest in such a project, the state kicks in 95 percent.
Clark said there are “misconceptions” about the CPC that the committee wold be happy to talk about. Clark is preparing a PowerPoint presentation that will include the CPC projects, their costs, and more.
“I don’t think there’s another program in town with his kind of return on investment,” he said. “Facts and figures don’t lie – this actually saves the town money.”
The CPC is accepting applications for projects that fall under the previously mentioned categories. This is an opportunity to express interest in regard to community preservation – be it the preservation of open space, preservation of historic sites, or the preservation of affordable housing.
“We are interested in hearing what projects residents value,” Clark said.
The meeting is on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Southwick Town Hall Auditorium at 454 College Highway.
