The Trust’s First Public Meeting

On Wednesday, January 16th, in the Avidia Bank Community Room, the Hudson Land Trust held its first public meeting. More than thirty residents attended the presentation by the Trust’s board of directors, who were joined by Pam Helinek, Hudson’s Conservation Agent, and Linda Ghiloni of the Community Preservation Committee.

The presentation covered important background information on the Community Preservation Act (“CPA”), the basis for the one percent property surtax that Hudson enacted in 2007. Since enacting the CPA at Town Meeting, Hudson has raised more than $3M and received approximately $1.25M in matching funds from the State.

The Board’s Presentation

Over the last decade, these Community Preservation Funds have been used, as intended and legally required, in support of various land acquisition for conservation and recreation, historic preservation, and affordable housing initiatives. It is the land acquisitions that necessitated the formation of the Trust.

Under the CPA, each property acquired with Community Preservation Funds must have a Conservation Restriction associated with it. A Conservation Restriction is a legal document that provides a thorough description of the property and a narrowly defined set of approved uses, as defined and reviewed by various state agencies. Conservation Restrictions on these CPA properties must be held by a private trust, one approved by the local Community Preservation Committee and by voters at Town Meeting. The Hudson Land Trust was formed to serve this purpose.

Following the Board’s presentation, various members of the community, including representatives from the Board of Selectmen, Hudson Public Schools, and the Boy Scouts, offered their support for the organization and its goals.

The Board would like to thank all who attended for your support and also Avidia Bank for the use of their Community Room.

The Hudson Land Trust is now welcoming members and donations. Join us, here.