2006-09-00-CPC-rpt (Needs Assessment Report)

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CPA. We have reviewed Lexington'scurrent resources as well as outlined the needs and possibilities for community preservation activities enhancing open space, recreation, historic resources and community housing. We have set out the guidelines we will use to evaluate project proposals as well as the process we will follow during this undertaking. This Plan sets out the goals and aspirations of the CPC as we embark on our first year of implementation. The purposes of this Plan are • To lay out the framework CPC will use in formulating the recommendations it will bring to Town Meeting. • To provide guidance to the residents of Lexingtonso that they may understand the purpose of the specific goals that lie behindthe CPC's recommendations. • To inform Town Meeting, which will receive our recommendations, about the considerations and goals that frame our decisions. • To assist the applicants, who will bring proposals to us, in understanding the guidelines we will apply in reviewing and recommending projects for funding. Goals Lexingtonisfortunate in that it has a long-standing history of placing importance on the value of assessing our Town's needs and goals. The Comprehensive Master Plan, the Open Space and Recreational Plan, and the Town's Consolidated Housing Strategy and Plan are among these outstanding efforts. (For a complete list of Plans, Documents and Studies, see Appendix II). We expect that the CPA will become a resource for carrying out the thoughtful community preservation recommendations contained in these studies. The subsequent sections of this Plan discuss community goals and projects specific to preservation within each of the four designated purposes of the CPA. In addition to these goals, the CPC has articulated a set of overarching guidelines that apply to all projects, regardless of the category(ies) under which they fall. The CPC will use these guidelines in its review and decision-making process and, therefore, these are intended to provide additional guidance to proponents in the preparation of their applications for funding. In making decisions about which projects to recommend for funding, the CPC will use the following guidelines in its project review and selection process, although not all guidelines will be appropriate for every project. Decision Guidelines The Lexington Community Preservation Committee will only consider proposals that are eligible for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding according to the requirements described in the CPA legislation; specifically, 4