by John Osborn ·
Friday, February 20, 2026
Harvard’s Community Preservation Committee completed its funding recommendations for fiscal 2027 on Jan. 28, resolving two deferred requests and bringing the total package to approximately $1.3 million for voters to consider at the May 2 Annual Town Meeting.
CPC Chair Stu Sklar presented the committee’s final slate to the Select Board on Feb. 3, explaining that the committee had approved all outstanding items, including a request to reconstruct the tennis courts behind Bromfield School and more money for affordable housing, requests that had been tabled at their earlier meeting.
The Community Preservation Fund, which the committee manages, is replenished annually by a 3% surcharge on the property tax bills of Harvard residents, boosted by a state match. The fund offers a dedicated source of money for projects in historical preservation, open space, recreation, and affordable housing—categories that might otherwise have to compete for limited dollars in the town’s operating budget or the Capital Planning and Investment Committee’s fund. But CPC can only recommend how the money is spent; Town Meeting attendees have the final say.
The Park and Recreation Commission’s request to reconstruct the tennis courts behind Bromfield School received unanimous approval at $158,000, with the Capital Planning and Investment Committee contributing an additional $70,000 toward the $228,000 project.
The item had been deferred in January after conflicting bids raised concerns—one vendor quoted $228,000 to complete the work while another came in at $450,000 for the same job. Park and Recreation Director Anne McWaters told the committee she wanted to verify the lower bid’s legitimacy before proceeding.
“One of the things I’ve been trying to accomplish as chair is to work with other town committees or other entities to help fund projects and the tennis courts are a perfect example to start with,” Sklar told the Select Board. “We only had to use $158,000 of CPC funds to make that happen.”
The committee recommended two amounts for the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust. A required 10% minimum of $102,000 passed unanimously, as mandated by the Community Preservation Act. But an additional $300,000 to support what the trust called “emergent housing production” generated what Sklar described as “a lively discussion” before passing 6-2.
The committee had initially debated whether to approve up to $400,000 in addition to the minimum allocation. Sklar worried that Town Meeting would reject such a large increase over prior years without a specific project on the table—and given the estimated $1 million already available in the MAHT’s trust fund. He said he’d rather keep the money in the Community Preservation Fund, where it could be used to float a bond for a future MAHT land purchase.
But MAHT Chair Arielle Jennings argued that the trust needed the money in its own fund so it could respond quickly to unexpected opportunities. She told the CPC at its Jan. 28 meeting that she was willing to take the risk of rejection at Town Meeting. The town’s support for affordable housing was on the rise, she said, citing the recent vote to create a multifamily housing zone on Ayer Road near the intersection with Route 2.
CPC Treasurer Jane Biering suggested a compromise of $250,000 might be more acceptable to Town Meeting attendees, but in the end the committee settled on $300,000. The vote was 6-2, with members Sklar and Todd Currie voting against.
Select Board Chair Kara Minar questioned the CPC’s recommendation that $400,000 be appropriated to purchase a conservation restriction on 34.7 acres at Three Penny Farm on Old Littleton Road, recalling that the Select Board had discussed the property in August 2025.
“There was a land grant opportunity for some money,” she recalled. Hadn’t the Select Board already approved a conservation restriction in August as part of that earlier effort, she asked? Yes and no, the Press confirmed following a review of the board’s August minutes. At its Aug. 26, 2025, meeting, the board voted to ask Town Meeting, set to convene Sept. 27, 2025 for approval to purchase a restriction—contingent on winning a grant from the state. When the state failed to approve Harvard’s application, however, the board dropped its request. No conservation restriction is currently in place on the property.
CPC’s recommended appropriation of $400,000 will be paired with $150,000 from Sudbury Valley Trustees for a total project cost of approximately $557,000. If approved, the two organizations will hold the restriction jointly.
The property abuts Shaker Spring House conservation land and would link it to the Black Pond conservation area on the eastern side of Old Littleton Road.
CPC will contribute up to $242,000 to restore the floors in Volunteers Hall and the Reading Room at the Harvard Public Library. At the Feb. 3 Select Board meeting, member SusanMary Redinger questioned how the committee determined the town’s share, noting that the library trustees “have a fairly healthy balance.”
“I think the library is a cornerstone of the town,” Sklar responded. “[The library trustees] put a lot of money into other things with their funds. … It seemed like the right thing to do.”
The total project is estimated at $272,000. The library trustees agreed to cover 10% of costs plus any expenses beyond the $242,000 cap. The floors have significant structural issues beyond surface damage, and the project must comply with Massachusetts architectural guidelines to maintain the building’s historic designation.
CPC approved $2,250 to install a solar water pump at the Harvard Community Garden on Littleton Road, with the Garden Club of Harvard contributing the remaining balance of the $4,500 cost. Although the Community Garden is an independent private organization, the Conservation Commission endorsed the project, and Sklar noted that farming qualifies as a conservation use.
“It keeps a field that historically had been a farming field, still being farmed, albeit by smaller entities,” he said. The system will pump water from a spring into a storage tank, reducing the physical burden on the garden’s plot holders who currently hand pump water into contractor buckets.
The committee also unanimously approved the following projects:
- $8,000 to install an ADA-compliant water fountain at the town beach
- $24,500 for the Harvard Historical Society to digitize its archives, starting with 211 letters from the Whitney family collection
- $42,788 to repay the CPC’s contribution to the annual principal and interest due on the bond that financed the renovation of Town Hall
- $20,000 for CPC administrative expenses, including legal notices, community outreach, and fiscal consultant services.
Even after all recommendations, the committee will retain approximately $225,000 in uncommitted funds. Treasurer Biering reported that CPC received $211,000 in state matching funds this year, combined with local surcharge revenue that came in approximately $12,000 higher than projected.
Redinger also asked about the upcoming McCurdy Track bond payment. Sklar estimated it would cost “$150,000 or less” but explained the committee had delayed the bond to fiscal 2028 to obtain an exact repayment schedule once the track is completed this October.
The CPC’s recommendations require approval at the Annual Town Meeting scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at noon. Each project will be voted on separately. Approved funds become available July 1, 2026, and Sklar reminded applicants that no project work can begin—and no invoices can be dated—before that date.
Note: Tennis court project total is $228,000 with $70,000 from CPIC. Three Penny Farm project total is approximately $557,000 with $150,000 from Sudbury Valley Trustees. Library project total estimated at $272,000 with library trustees covering 10% plus overages. The Garden Club of Harvard, an independent private organization, will cover the remaining cost of a $4,500 solar water pump requested by the Harvard Community Garden, another independent private organization. The CPC will contribute $2,250 for the pump.