Moderator reads CPA appropriations including $400,000 for Affordable Housing Trust and $547,800 for Bridal Brook acquisition

At the information session, Robert Floyd read Articles 18 through 24, which chiefly allocate Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds and propose a conservation acquisition. The Community Preservation Committee recommended FY27 appropriations that include administration ($7,500), bond payment for Palmer Meadow Road ($48,400), and various reserves and purpose-specific amounts.

Specific CPA projects read aloud included a $20,000 transfer to the Cemetery Commission for historic gravestone restoration at Center Cemetery (Article 19) and an $11,000 transfer to the Historical Society for repainting the Clark Chapin House (Article 20). Article 21 proposes a $400,000 transfer from CPA community housing funds to the Southampton Affordable Housing Trust "for the purpose of creating and preserving affordable housing," with expenditure details governed by a grant agreement on file with the town clerk.

Article 23 would transfer $60,000 from CPA surcharges to the Southampton Greenway Committee as the town's local match for a $240,000 2026 MassTrails grant to support greenway bicycle and pedestrian design and engineering. Article 22 proposes $6,850 for rehabilitation of the Nancy B. Whittemore Veil under the Conservation Commission.

Article 24 would appropriate $547,800 from CPA funds to acquire conservation restrictions on two identified parcels (approximately 75 acres on Middle Road and about 70.86 acres on Bridal Road, with tax map/lot references read into the record). That appropriation is expressly conditioned on securing outside funding (a local acquisition for natural diversity grant, Mass Audubon catalyst funds or similar); the warrant requires receipt of at least $498,498 in outside funding before the conservation restriction purchase would proceed. The select board and/or conservation commission would be authorized to apply for and accept grant funds and to acquire the restrictions.