Goals and Criteria
Once a community has expended or reserved at least 10% of the annual funds generated by the CPA on each required use category (open space, historic
preservation and community housing), the City or Town may use all or a portion of the remaining 70% for recreational purposes.
Recreational use is defined to include active or passive recreational use, including, but not limited to, the following:
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Community gardens
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Trails
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Noncommercial youth and adult sports
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Parks, playgrounds, and athletic fields
The Act provides that CPA funds may be expended on "... the acquisition, creation, and preservation of land for recreation use ... and for
rehabilitation or restoration of ... land for recreational use ... that is acquired or created" under the CPA.
The following are examples of the types of recreational use projects that may be carried out under the CPA:
Acquisition
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Purchase of land to create new athletic fields for noncommercial youth and adult sports
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Purchase of existing, privately owned recreational facilities for municipal use, such as a tennis court
Creation
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Convert existing structures such as a railroad bed to a recreational use such as walking, biking, or inline skating trails
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Convert underutilized municipal lot to community gardens
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Clean up contaminated industrial site or cap landfills to create new soccer or baseball fields or playgrounds
Preservation
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Install an irrigation system at a public park to prevent the grass from dying or otherwise being harmed
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Install new drainage at an existing athletic field to prevent flooding and water damage
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Provide new drainage at an existing athletic field that has severely deteriorated; however, monies cannot be used for routine maintenance or capital improvement for which municipal funding has been already been committed
Rehabilitation and Restoration of Recreational Lands Acquired Using CPA Funds
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Create recreational opportunities through brownfields rehabilitation and/or redevelopment such as capping a landfill and establishing a new outdoor park, tennis courts or other athletic facilities on site
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Restore unused walking trails in forest land acquired with CPA funds to usable condition
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Resurface tennis courts created on municipally owned property
Note: The Act prohibits CPA funds from being used to acquire or create or preserve facilities for horse or dog racing, or land for a stadium, gymnasium, or similar structure.