NEW BEDFORD — Mayor Jon Mitchell and the City of New Bedford Department of Planning, Housing and Community Development announce that the city’s Community Preservation Committee is hosting three community meetings on Tuesday, June 20; Thursday, June 22; and Tuesday, June 27 to solicit feedback from the public that will help inform the forthcoming “Community Preservation Plan.”

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was adopted by New Bedford voters through a ballot question in November 2014. This statewide legislation allows communities to create dedicated funding for: open space, outdoor recreational facilities, historic preservation and affordable housing activities in the city. Oversight of this process rests with the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), the body established by the city to oversee the CPA program in New Bedford.

For several months, and with the support of the city’s Department of Planning, Housing & Community Development, the CPC has begun drafting a Community Preservation Plan that identifies the city’s priorities in each of these four funding categories using existing plans (such as the City’s 2020 Master Plan, Consolidated Plan, Action Plan and Open Space & Recreation Plan) and other current planning documents. The Community Preservation Plan is an important first step in deciding how and where CPA funding should be spent.

To ensure that the Community Preservation Plan includes the most accurate representation of the city’s priorities, the CPC is hosting three community meetings in June at three different locations: Hazelwood Park Senior Center on Tuesday, June 20; Buttonwood Park Community Center on Thursday, June 22; and Brooklawn Park Community Center on Tuesday, June 27.

All meetings will run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be interpretive services available for Portuguese and Spanish speakers at all three meetings and there will be Spanish simultaneous interpretation at the June 27 meeting held at the Brooklawn Park Community Center.

While each of these meetings will provide some information about the CPA and our local process, they will primarily focus on gathering ideas and feedback from the public. Although each community meeting will cover the same content, the meetings will be held in three different areas of the city to ensure everyone has an opportunity to have a voice in developing this plan and the city’s priorities about how CPA funding can be used in New Bedford.

Once the Community Preservation Plan is completed, the CPC will open up an application process where funding can be sought for specific projects. The CPC will review, select and recommend project applications to the City Council for final consideration and awarding of funds.

Questions concerning the public meetings or the Community Preservation Plan can be directed to the Department of Planning, Housing & Community Development at (508) 979-1500 or (508) 979-1488.

--City of New Bedford

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