Selection Criteria

The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) requires that all proposed projects be eligible for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding according to the requirements described in the state's CPA statute, which can be found in the CPA informational packet at the Mendon Town Hall and the Taft Public Library.

Because of the unpredictability of the CPA projects involving the purchase of land, the CPC will accept applications on an on-going basis as needed. However, CPC approval and a Town Meeting vote are required to allocate CPA funds.

In order to prevent duplication of efforts, the CPC highly recommends anyone interested in submitting a project proposal first submit a brief summary of the proposal to the CPC for review.  Please include the project proponent’s name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Mail it to: Community Preservation Committee, c/o Mike McCue, Administrative Assistant, Mendon Town Hall, 20 Main St. Mendon, MA 01756. 

Projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

·          Consistency with the 2006-2011 Mendon’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (Open Space Plan*), the 1996 Mendon Growth Management Strategy (Growth Strategy*) and other planning documents that have received wide input and scrutiny.

·          Feasibility

·          Urgency

·          Affordability

·          Preservation of currently-owned town assets

·          Acquisition of threatened resources

·          Multiple sources of funding and in-kind services

     * Summaries are attached and the full reports can be found at the Mendon Town Hall and the Taft Public Library.

More specifically, the CPC will give preference to proposals that address as many of the following general and category-specific criteria as possible:

General Criteria

·          Are eligible for CPA funding according to the requirements described in the CPA legislation.

·          Specifically benefits the Town of Mendon and its residents.

·          Are consistent with the 2006-2011 Mendon’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (Open Space Plan), the 2004 Community Development Plan for the Town of Mendon, Massachusetts, the 1996 Mendon Growth Management Strategy (Growth Strategy) and other planning documents that have received wide input and scrutiny.

·          Preserve the essential character of the town as described in the Open Space Plan and the Growth Strategy.              

·          Save resources that would otherwise be threatened and/or serve a currently underserved population.

·          Either serve more than one CPA purpose (especially in linking open space, recreation and community housing) or demonstrate why serving multiple needs is not feasible.

·          Demonstrate practicality and feasibility, and demonstrate that they can be implemented expeditiously and within budget.

·          Produce an advantageous cost/benefit value.

·          Leverage additional public and/or private funds

·          Preserve or utilize currently owned town assets.

·          Receive endorsement by other municipal boards or departments.

Category-Specific Criteria

Open space proposals that address as many of the following specific criteria as possible will receive preference:

·        Permanently protect important wildlife habitat, including areas that
- are of local significance for biodiversity,
- contain a variety of habitats, with a diversity of geologic features and types

          of vegetation,
             - contain a habitat type that is in danger of vanishing from Mendon, or
             - preserve habitat for threatened or endangered species of plants or animals.

·        Preserve Mendon’s rural and agricultural character.

·        Provide opportunities for passive recreation and environmental education.

·        Protect or enhance wildlife corridors, promote connectivity of habitat or prevent fragmentation of habitats.

·        Provide connections with existing trails or potential trail linkages.

·        Preserve scenic views.

·        Border a scenic road.

·        Protect drinking water quantity and quality.

·        Provide flood control/storage.

·        Preserve important surface water bodies, including wetlands, vernal pools or riparian zones.

·        Preserve a primary or secondary priority parcel in the Open Space Plan.

Historical proposals that address as many of the following criteria as possible will receive preference:

·          Protect, preserve, enhance, restore and/or rehabilitate historic, cultural, architectural or archaeological resources of significance, especially those that are threatened.

·          Protect, preserve, enhance, restore and/or rehabilitate town-owned properties, features or resources of historical significance.               

·          Protect, preserve, enhance, restore and/or rehabilitate the historical function of a property or site.

·          Address a project that on a State or National Historic Register or eligible for placement on such registers.

·          Demonstrate a public benefit.

·          Demonstrate the ability to provide permanent protection for maintaining the historic resource.

Affordable Housing proposals that address as many of the following criteria as possible will receive preference:

·          Contribute to the goal of 10% affordability.

·          Promote a socioeconomic environment that encourages a diversity of income, ethnicity, religion and age.

·          Provide housing that is harmonious in design and scale with the surrounding community.

·          Intermingle affordable and market rate housing at levels that exceed state requirements for percentage of affordable units.

·          Ensure long-term affordability.

·          Promote use of existing buildings or construction on previously-developed or Town-owned sites.

·          Convert market rate to affordable units.

·          Give priority to local residents, Town employees, and employees of local businesses.

Recreation proposals that address as many of the following criteria as possible will receive preference:

·          Support multiple recreation uses.

·          Serve a significant number of residents.

·          Expand the range of recreational opportunities available to Mendon residents of all ages.

·          Jointly benefit Conservation Commission and Park and Recreation Commission initiatives by promoting passive recreation, such as hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and hunting & fishing, safely balancing the needs of all recreational activities on town owned property.

Maximize the utility of land already owned by Mendon (e.g.,school property).