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RECENT GRANTS

a $50,000 grant to the OpenCape Collaborative will boost efforts to install a high-speed wireless broadband network from Bourne to Provincetown with links to Plymouth and Dartmouth.  The new network will provide an additional broadband access option for public and private users up and down the Cape, greatly reduce existing connectivity gaps, and create new economic development opportunities for the region's myriad businesses and institutions.  The collaborative is spearheaded by Cape Cod Community College, Cape Cod Technology Council, UMass-Dartmouth, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

A partnership between the Town of Provincetown, the Provincetown Economic Development Council (PEDC), and the Cape Cod Economic Development Council of Barnstable County (CCEDC) is helping the town take a closer look at its economy. With a Cape and Islands license plate grant for $49,950 awarded by the Barnstable County Commissioners and administered by the CCEDC, the town is working closely with its partners and economic development consultants from Mt. Auburn Associates, Inc. of Somerville, MA to collect and analyze selected local economic data.  The study will set the stage for the future development of a long-term economic development strategy and provide a model methodology for other Cape Cod towns.

Regional Economic Development Pilot Program Grants

A $75,000 grant to the Town of Barnstable will help the town to implement an Economic Stimulus Plan. As part of the revitalization of Hyannis Main Street, the Town of Barnstable seeks to encourage mixed use development in accordance with design guidelines, implement streetscape improvements and year-round cultural events, and streamline and clarify the permitting process. The three-year plan represents a natural extension of revitalization efforts that the Town has been engaged in over the past five years. It also demonstrates the degree to which Town leaders have embraced the importance of diverse cultural and historic assets while at the same time recognizing the need to provide mixed use opportunities to invigorate Hyannis’ year-round economy. The Town has identified 11 project milestones for the first year of the project.

A grant for $50,250 to the Town of Yarmouth will assist the implementation of the Route 28 Village Center Project. Working with outside consultants, the Town has developed recommendations for the location of several village or activity centers along the Route 28 corridor including a medical mixed use area, two retail-oriented centers, a mixed use marine village and park, a traditional village center and four activity centers where housing and /or motel redevelopment could be encouraged. The grant will enable Yarmouth to conduct a market analysis on both commercial and residential properties, conduct a build-out analysis to better understand the implications of proposed zoning changes in each of the areas, and conduct visualizations to help the Town garner public support for zoning changes recommended for the prioritized areas.

A grant for $50,250 to the Town of Harwich will support the East Harwich Village Center Initiative. The initiative is a long-term program designed to enhance the safety, economic viability, community character and quality of life in and around an area that is experiencing rapid commercial development without the benefit of a village plan. Currently, development is not occurring in a fashion that promotes a village identity, provides meaningful pedestrian connections, or addresses the Town’s needs for workforce housing. The East Harwich Village Center Initiative will afford the Town an opportunity to address the future of the commercial district and surrounding undeveloped lands through the design and implementation of a vision and land use and infrastructure plan that is developed through a public process.

A grant to the Town of Eastham for $49,500 will be used to help fund the development of up to 40 deed restricted workforce housing units consisting of a mixture of first-time home buyer and rental units. One project involves a former gas station on Route 6 which was abandoned by its previous owner and has since been cleaned by the DEP. The Town is proposing to develop five one-bedroom units on the site. A second project involves a Town-owned parcel known as the Campbell-Purcell property located on Holmes Road. The Town has proposed building approximately 30 units on the site. Potential sites for building up to five additional scattered site units will also be identified.

Cape Cod Economic Development Council  Cape and Islands License Plate GRANT PROGRAM

CCEDC Program of Work

The Cape Cod Economic Development Council administers a grant program that disburses proceeds from the sale of Cape and Islands license plates. One hundred percent is dedicated to regional economic development on Cape Cod.

Since its inception in 1998, the EDC has awarded 171 grants totaling $2.8 million. Annually, the EDC is the recipient of approximately $400,000 of license plate revenue for grant-making purposes. The source of the funds is Barnstable County’s 35% share of the total distribution generated from the sale of Cape and Islands license plates.

Since established, the CCEDC has administered several grant programs, including a small grants program, a large grants program, and recently concluded a three year Regional Economic Development Policy Program. This program provided the 15 towns on Cape Cod with three consecutive years of funding for economic development in one of the following areas: workforce housing, main street redevelopment and renewable energy. Applicants received up to $75,000 each year for three years toward their goals of creating or enhancing economic programs within their communities in one of the designated areas.

Based on the requests received for this recent program and the large grant program, it became apparent that the municipalities of Cape Cod required technical assistance in the area of economic development, and that grant funds were repeatedly being applied for similar projects among many towns. Therefore, to proactively administer the license plate funds to their highest and best use, the council made a monumental decision to augment county resources so that each town was able to receive technical assistance in order to achieve the economic development goals in their communities. One way to do this was to centralize or ‘regionalize’ the economic development support within the County.

The CCEDC recently approved the granting of $350,000 for each of three years, beginning in fiscal 2010 for the purposes of overseeing and implementing the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for Barnstable County.  Within the  CEDS, and of special interest is the Regional Priority Projects Summary.  The key resource for this project is the Cape Cod Commission, who will provide technical assistance to all 15 towns within the county.

The CCEDC is in the process of overseeing the implementation of the CEDS and also serves in an advisory capacity to the County Commissioners on current and future economic development policy for Cape Cod.

Read about and apply for the Cape & Island License Plate Grant Program.

Cape Cod Economic Development Council  Cape and Islands License Plate GRANT PROGRAM