MINUTES
Willington Housing Authority
PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION
on Button Hill Senior Housing Project
May 13, 2013
Willington Senior Center
Also see separate minutes from WHA meeting following the public information session.
The Public Information Session on the Button Hill Senior Housing project (Phase III of Willington’s Senior Housing project) began at 6:05 p.m.
All members of the WHA were present, as well as the project’s financial consultant David Berto and First Selectman Christina Mailhos.
Robert Campbell introduced himself as Chairman of the Willington Housing Authority and as President of the ASHoW board for Willington Woods, and introduced the members of the WHA and First Selectman C. Mailhos and financial consultant D. Berto.
R. Campbell gave an overview of the project.
He explained that when the Town purchased the land in 1997 for senior housing, the first project was the senior center, the second was Willington Woods – and simultaneously, while that was being constructed, they created a septic field, water system/wells and drainage detention – and he indicated the locations on plans, as well as the location of the Button Hill construction site relative to the senior center.
He explained there will be 24 one-floor units on two levels that are ground-entry from either side – made possible by using the natural grade of the land. He said the driveway will be a complete loop around and there will be lots of parking, the units will be heated with propane-condensing furnaces, will have AC and will be serviced by the existing water and septic system.
And when Button Hill is completed, he said, it will create a small community with the senior center and Willington Woods.
He also indicated changes that would be made to connect the Button Hill site to the Senior Center parking lot and noted there will be a central walkway with stairs leading to the Senior Center.
He then introduced D. Berto.
D. Berto noted the differences between the apartments at Willington Woods and the style of housing at Button Hill. At Button Hill, there are six buildings with three units in each built on two levels, which makes them more like “cottages.” He also noted that the floors between the levels will be well insulated to reduce noise.
Each tenant will have (handicap access) parking in front of their building and there will be extra parking for visitors and there will be plenty of room for clearing snow in the winter. He added that the additional parking area will also benefit the senior center.
He also described some of the landscaping/green space areas around the buildings and parking areas and noted locations of dumpsters for trash collection.
He showed the audience how the buildings will look from the vantage point of the senior center, coming up the Button Hill site driveway and from the upper level in the back.
He also talked about the process of submitting applications for funding with the goal of beginning construction in Spring 2014.
Question from audience – Is there only one entrance to those cottages?
D. Berto – Yes. Each building has a single entrance, but each unit has a patio and the placement allows for some privacy between units.
D. Berto showed drawings of the units and described how the apartment entry leads to a living room, which is tied to the kitchen with a half wall, which will make the area feel larger. He indicated a coat closet, and a pantry for the kitchen. The kitchen will have a refrigerator, stove, sink and counter space.
He explained that all are one-bedroom units since they are designed for seniors and they all have a handicap-accessible bathroom that meets all state and federal requirements. Bedrooms are accessed from the living room. There’s also a den area in the back with a double opening instead of a door to continue the feeling of a larger area that could be used as an office, for example.
He noted a difference on the lower level, because these units are built into the hillside – there are no windows in the back. He said some tenants might prefer these units because they would be quieter. Also, two units won’t have a den, because there needs to be a space for mechanical equipment related to heating and electric for the buildings.
The Button Hill project also differs from Willington Woods in its rent structure, he said. Willington Woods is all low-income rents, while Button Hill will have low-, moderate- and high-income rents. So tenants will choose from different units. He added that even the smaller units are larger than the ones at Willington Woods.
Question – Who will manage Button Hill?
D. Berto said it will be owned by the Willington Housing Authority but managed on a day-to-day basis by a management company. For the first year, in order to maintain continuity, Button Hill will be managed by the same company (ACCESS Agency), which now manages Willington Woods. The WHA can choose another company after the first year.
Question – What is the square footage? And what about the fact that there’s no basement/storage area?
D. Berto said 723 sq. ft. (larger units), and 600 sq. ft. (smaller units without dens) – compared with 540 sq. ft. at Willington Woods. And no, there isn’t common storage space.
Question – How many closets in each apartment?
D. Berto said there’s one in the bedroom, a linen closet coming into the bathroom, a coat closet coming into the living room, a pantry area and shelving in the kitchen. He added that because the den doesn’t have closet, the tenant could put storage furniture in this area.
Question – What about overhead lighting – because in my apartment, there is no overhead lighting in the bedroom and you have to depend upon a lamp, and sometimes the light from lamps just isn’t strong enough.
R. Campbell said the architect’s specs show overhead lighting as well as outlets (operated by switches). He added that there’s overhead lighting in the kitchen, as well as under-cabinet lighting on the counter space. C. D’Agata said the design also includes a light in the bedroom closet.
Question – Are the stoves electric or gas?
D. Berto said the stoves are electric. And each individual unit has its own electric meter.
Question – Is the heating hot water, baseboard or… ?
R. Campbell said it’s hydro-air, which also is used for the AC. He also explained that this is different from a “hot air” system with a furnace … with hydro-air, you take air at the ambient temperature and run it across a coil and it is either heated or chilled. So, this system doesn’t produce dry, hot air that would come from a furnace. Hydro-air also feels warmer because it retains the humidity level.
Question – Because this is not a HUD project, does that mean that none of the rents will be subsidized?
D. Berto said that is correct. And that’s why the WHA is seeking as much funding as possible to keep the costs down.
Question – Will there be income limits? Do you know what the highest one is?
D. Berto said yes, there will be income limits for some units, i.e. some designated as “low income,” and probably other units with no income restrictions, as well as some that are set at 80 percent of median income, which might be a little over $50,000 a year – as compared to the approximately $26,000-$28,000 income limit at Willington Woods. That’s the way it looks now, he said and added he cannot be specific now because it depends on funding and the WHA is still in the process of applying for funding – and the source of funding will supply restrictions the WHA has to abide by. But there is a desire for mixed-income living projects.
Question – Are these like condo’s that you purchase, or all they all rentals – month to month? Could people come and go – like go on vacation to Florida?
D. Berto said these will all be rentals with one-year leases with normal options for terminating a lease.
R. Campbell said that as long as the tenant pays the rent, he can keep the unit while away.
Question– Are there age limitations for tenants? Can you have children there, i.e in the den?
R. Campbell said that would follow the Designed Elderly Residential Planning and Zoning Regulations which includes at least one occupant needs to be a senior citizen. He said he couldn’t answer the question about having children in the units but noted they are one-bedroom units and that might create an issue.
D. Berto added the septic system is designed for the number of people who would live in one-bedroom units.
Question – Does each unit’s tenant(s) pay its own electric bill?
Yes, D. Berto said.
Question from the audience – What are you doing for sound-proofing between the two floors?
D. Berto said there will be sound-proofing in the floors and ceilings.
R. Campbell said there also will be sound-proofing in the walls between the units. With this design, neither stud or drywall from neighboring units touch each other – and insulation runs between the walls – which reduces sound transmission, he said.
Question – Is the interior construction all wood? Not a concrete wall?
R. Campbell said they are all wood walls.
Question – Is there fire suppression?
R. Campbell said there’s a sprinkler system (as well as walls that meet fire code).
Question – Is the roof area open all the way through? Does the fire wall go all the way?
R. Campbell said there’s separation between units and the fire walls go all the way through to the roof.
Question – Do the tenants also pay for their own heating?
D. Berto said no, because it’s one heating system – but each unit will have its own thermostat.
R. Campbell added that each unit has its own condenser for air conditioning, and that there’s one electrical meter for the complex’s owner – who pays for outdoor lighting (except for the patio light), the electricity to run the boiler, and anything else outside the units. He said the units will be furnished with energy-efficient lighting – and the WHA is looking for funding that would make it possible to put in LED lighting.
D. Berg, going back to the question about whether rents are subsidized, said the WHA is looking for grants from several different agencies to bring down the total cost of construction so the rents are reasonable.
Question – Will there be washers and dryer outlets in each apartment?
D. Berto said, yes – there is space in each unit for a washer and dryer (supplied by the tenant) – side by side – and indicated the space on the plans which he said is basically in the bathroom. D. Berg added that the WHA specified a wider space for the doors into that space so it would be easy to move around in.
Question – What is the door to the bedroom closet like? Is the closet sized for two people?
D. Berto said it has a swing-out door (not an accordion or slider door) and the closet is sized for two people if they don’t have too much stuff.
Question – Are there vents for dryer? And who cleans out the vents?
D. Berto said there are vents and tenants need to keep their own lint screens clean. R. Campbell said the main vents probably will need to be maintained periodically.
Question – Where will tenants get their mail?
R. Campbell said the Willington Postmaster requires a singular delivery site outside the building vs. boxes at each unit. He said it would be similar to Willington Woods, and that it would include an area for package delivery locked with a key. D. Berg said there would be one for each of the two levels.
R. Campbell talked about the goals behind building two kinds of senior housing, which is to give seniors more options when they want to downsize their living space but stay in Willington. D. Berto added that the Town has been very supportive, from buying the land to putting in a water and sewer system to building a senior center. And the Town has continued to provide support for this phase as the WHA pursues outside funding. He invited the First Selectman to talk about what the Town is doing.
C. Mailhos said it’s an exciting time for her to be a part of a process that began more than 10 years ago and to be approaching the final steps. She noted there was a Town Meeting in 2012 at which voters approved a resolution saying that when the Button Hill senior housing project is built, the WHA will lease this property from the town for $1 a year – and that means that money (the lease) isn’t going to have to come out of rent paid by the tenants. Voters also passed a resolution that says the amount of taxes that will be collected will be at a very reduced rate and that will continue for about 30 years, when it would be renegotiated. So those are areas where the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, the Housing Authority and our residents have been on the same page because we see that
we need this in town.
Question – Who is going to own the building and who’s the landlord?
C. Mailhos said the Town of Willington owns the land for all of these buildings; the Willington Housing Authority will be the leassor of the land. R. Campbell said the town owns the land and the WHA leases it from the Town for $1 and owns the housing that’s on it. For example, the Town owns the land where Willington Woods was built, the Housing Authority leases the land, and the ASHoW Board owns the apartments – although HUD dictates how it’s operated and the ASHoW Board makes sure the rules are being followed. Likewise, the WHA will make sure all the rules tied to funding for Button Hill are followed. This will be a mix of grant money and mortgages and because the WHA has to carry a mortgage, that gives the Authority a little more flexibility in the way we structure some of our
rents. However, the cost of the project is much higher than the mortgage the WHA could afford (thus the need for additional funding).
Question – Who’s responsible for maintaining the buildings? And who would be responsible for plowing?
R. Campbell said the WHA would oversee that in the long run but the property management would actually take care of anything, i.e. leaks in the roof. As for plowing, that would be a private contractor (not the Town) that would clear the sidewalks.
Question – Will there be a property management office at Button Hill?
R. Campbell said, no, it will be all off-site management.
D. Berto, referring back to C. Mailhos’s discussion about the Town’s support for the project noted that while the Town has reduced the taxes, there still will be a tax bill – but because of the reduced taxes, it helps keep the rents reasonable. C. Mailhos says the Town collects hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes every year from some of the apartment complexes in Willington – and that won’t be the case for Button Hill.
Question – If this is the final building project on this property, does the Town own any adjoining property?
C. Mailhos said, just the Town Office property.
R. Campbell said when the Town first bought the property, it was intended for 24 units of senior housing and didn’t include a senior center, which used to be the Town Office building – but there’s a lot that’s been done since to maximize the site and make sure it’s appealing to residents neighboring the property. He noted that the roof lines of Button Hill will be lower than the roof lines of Willington Woods.
Question – Will Button Hill have its own emergency generator?
R. Campbell said that at this time, no, because of funding limitations but does intend to look for funding for some kind of emergency power generation in future. D. Berg added that they have designed a heating system that’s generator-friendly in the event of a long-term outage and that there is some emergency lighting.
Question – Is there any community room?
R. Campbell, no, because these are single units – the senior center would be the community gathering area. At Willington Woods, HUD required a certain amount of community space – i.e. crafts room, library, etc.
Question – Are there any actual figures for the rents?
R. Campbell, there are tentative figures but it all depends on how the project gets funded.
Question – Is the existing recreation area intended to be part of the Button Hill project?
R. Campbell said the recreation area was set aside for the whole site and there was a recreation space requirement from Planning & Zoning that the WHA had to meet for this project – so part of the existing walking path is going to be improved. The path would not be exclusively for the cottage, they are part of the whole grounds. R. Campbell also indicated the lease line on the plans for Button Hill.
Question – Will the path be extended through the ball field so you can walk up to the Town Offices?
That’s something that could be explored at a later date, R. Campbell said.
Question – When will the WHA start making a list of names of interested tenants?
R. Campbell said the WHA can put names on a list now, but it would not be a guarantee that anyone in particular would get a unit but calls can be made to those individuals once the rental process begins. People can call the Town Hall to get in touch with the WHA.
R. Campbell noted he was appointed to the WHA in 1996 and by the time Button Hill is completed he will have been on the Authority for 20 years, but the project’s beginnings actually stretch back to 1986 – and that WHA member Wilbur Gangaway wrote a letter in 1974 or 1976 to the Board of Selectmen to say the town needs senior housing, and the Town has worked hard for the past 20 years… because it takes a lot to get these projects happen.
Question – Will the management company, the ACCESS Agency, start from day one – and not like Willington Woods where there was a different agency at first?
R. Campbell said there will be just the one company.
D. Berg also noted that the Town’s support regarding putting in a water/well and septic system was important because funding agencies were reluctant to fund a project without them. R. Campbell added that the electrical system added with the construction of Willington Woods also helped support this project.
R. Campbell noted there will be a pet policy at Button Hill as there is at Willington Woods and there will be a tenant handbook.
The public information session concluded and the WHA convened for its meeting – see separate minutes.
Respectfully submitted by Recording Secretary Brenda Sullivan
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