AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
November 4, 2004
6:30 P.M. Memorial Hall
Town Hall
1196 Main Street
MEMBERS PRESENT: Robert Ricker, Timothy Ethier, Peter Brennan, Joanne O’Brien, Sharon McManus, Kathy Gould.
STAFF: Pamela Harding, Town Planner
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m.
The Partnership Committee was updated on the status of various affordable housing projects.
Stone Ridge Estates – was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals for 40 units, ten of the units will be affordable and have now been added to the Town’s affordable housing inventory.
The Partnership was informed that this did not protect the Town from denying hostile Chapter 40B Developments. In order to comply with Planned Production regulations the Town has to increase it affordable housing count by an average of 44 units per year. With ten approved, the Town still requires 34 to be placed in a positive position to deny a 40B permit.
Winterberry Hollow submitted a draft of the final LIP application for the Town’s signature and it was expected that the applicant would be pursuing the Site Eligibility letter from the Dept. of Housing and Community Development. This project would be coming before the AHPC for a public hearing prior to the ZBA filing.
Fisher Terrace – has filed for a site eligibility letter with DHCD. The Town’s response to this filing was distributed for review. 42 units were being proposed on a ten acre site, only six acres of which were uplands. The Town was not in support of this application or extending the sewer to the site. Sewer capacity in the Salisbury Street area was limited and it is not known how many additional units could be serviced.
Holden Sand and Gravel - has closed down operations and is investigating the possibility of constructing an affordable housing project under the Town’s newly adopted affordable housing by law. This project is in the preliminary stages of consideration.
Rice School an RFP was being pursued for housing purposes. Renovation of the historical building, preservation of the ball fields maintaining Town ownership, and not exceeding the square footage of the existing building were criteria. The AHPC stated that they had been talking with non-profits for years about converting the site into affordable housing and requested that they remain under consideration if no responses to the RFP were received. It was suggested that a copy of the RFP be sent to Massachusetts Housing Opportunities Council.
Putnam Lane – after May 2005 the number of possible building lots on Putnam Lane will be reduced due to the zoning area increase requirements in May, 2000. The Committee was interested in re-pursuing the development of affordable units with Habitat or some other entity prior to the combination of the lots.
Unless issues were brought forward the Partnership agreed not to meet until January stating that the proposed LIP and 40B developments will require frequent meetings.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
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