The developers for Lincoln Park have asked to meet with the Permit Authorizing Authority (PAA) of the Lincoln Park Smart Growth Overlay District(LPSGOD) to discuss a plan for development of the site. The meeting will occur tomorrow night at 7PM in Room 305 of the Town Hall. It is open to the public but is not a public hearing. A PDF document showing of the proposed configuration can be found at this link.
The proposal calls for 57 single family homes and 150 apartments. None of the single family homes would be offered as "Affordable Housing".
Affordable Housing is defined as-
housing that is affordable to and occupied by Eligible Households. Affordable Housing units created within the LPSGOD meeting the standards set out in 760 CMR. 45.03 (my note; this section, 45.03, has been superceded by 760 CMR 56) shall count on the Subsidized Housing Inventory, subject to the approval of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).
The developer intends to ask the DHCD to allow additional apartments to be designated as Affordable Housing in order to maintain 20% of the total housing units as Affordable Housing.
In addition to these changes, the developer has proposed the apartment buildings ...
... be 4 stories. The LPSGOD bylaw says the maximum building height is 45 feet or 3 stories.
The members of the PAA for the LPSGOD are myself from the Select Board, John Haran of the Planning Board and Roger Tougas of the Zoning Board of Appeals. An attorney from the office of Mark Bobrowski will also be in attendance. This firm has been representing the town for this development.
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10 comments:
Bill, it seems that so often bylaws, policy, and procedures are either ignored or stretched in their interpretation when it pertains to someone wanting something in the town. Most often this "something" is a very visible development.
PLEASE do not allow this to happen again, with the LPSGOD to ride ripshod over their VERY OWN bylaws. What good are bylaws and policies when people feel free to ask for "amendments" to them, or choose to disregard them, all with the intention of asking the powers that be to give them their blessing to do just such. And, of course, the powers that be do do just such.
Truthfully, WHO does stick up for the rest of us in Town?
This town needs to wake up and do some serious screaming. When we keep our heads in the sand or slough off an issue until it becomes a crisis that affects us, it is too late.
And we ought not accept any of our governing leaders to go along with these "changes." Where are the questions and where is the debate on the principle of the issue?
Of course, principle often seems to be a concept seriously lacking for consideration when many decisions are being made.
LPSGOD bylaw states no more than 3 stories acceptable? Well, we WANT
4-story buildings, and we will go through the formal motions of asking our respective boards for their blessing, and, by jove, we will get it!!
Piece of cake. We ALWAYS have an amenable Select Board, etc., don'tcha know. Merely going through the motions, folks.
Glad you are back Bill!
I'm curious:
1. Does Dartmouth actually have a need for more affordable housing?
2. What constitutes "affordable" housing? Are there income requirements in place? If so, what are they?
At this point, I can see absolutely no reason for the powers to be in Dartmouth to approve these requests. This project has failure written all over it. High density housing in this area is simply not a good idea.
Re: Greg Lynam's OP-ED letter to the S-T today
Hopefully, the taxpayers in Dartmouth read this article and make note of the many cogent points Mr. Lynam makes. Currently, we have 3 members in particular on the SB that can't wait to spend the taxpayer’s money. None of them have a clue about the real world economy. What should terrify the taxpayers is they have no clue that they have no clue. Unfortunately, one previously served on the Finance Committee and still hasn't figured it out. Hopefully, the town does not get another one of those wake up calls like the one it got just a few years ago.
I was not at the meeting, but I hope the buildings are not going to be 4 stories! Three stories is bad enough! When will this project get started or be completed, any dates?
The PAA discussed the current plan with the developers and voted to agree in concept to 57 single family homes in the development and all the affordable housing in the apartments. Our attorney advised that we qualify the acceptance to include approval by DHCD of the plan and assurances that bonus and other payments to the town as a result of the development would remain intact. This was not an acceptance of the plan or approval of it. It only allows the developer to go to DHCD and say that the town would not reject the plan outright. If the DHCD agrees to the revised plan, the developer will have to come back to the PAA with a proposal that includes drawings, marketing plans and a host of other things which would be forwarded to all other town departments which have an interest, Building, Planning, Conservation, etc. for their comment and a public hearing would be held to consider all arguments for or against. The PAA could then issue a permit with conditions as they require. Only then can the developer to go forward to build. There are significant hurdles to clear at DHCD. How to get assurance that the affordable units would be built, what the exact bonus payment would be, and others. It is not a slam dunk that DHCD will accept this plan.
I would rather see something done with the property to get it on the tax rolls and to have it look nicer. 57 homes on 8000 sq ft lots is not a great addition to the town in my opinion, but it represents fewer units than originally proposed. The Town Meeting approved the bylaw and we cannot just refuse to allow development within that bylaw.
I objected to the 4 story concept as did other PAA members and the developer took it off the table for now.
State law requires a town to have 10% affordable housing or be subject to 40B development where the state issues the permit and bypasses local zoning. Dartmouth is short of the 10% by a percent or so before the 2010 census information was taken. That census will change the number, probably to a lower percentage. Affordable is a formula that the state applies and it varies from area to area. The exact number would be proposed to DHCD as determined by the agency which would administer the affordable housing, probably the Dartmouth Housing Authority
More new homes in Dartmouth equals more children in our already crowded schools. Why not try to encourage some small businesses at Lincoln Park?
Of course, the way the economy is right now, I'm not sure this project would be successful for business or residential.
No 4 story buildings, please!
The selectmen should consider asking the owners to sell the lincoln park site as a gaming site to our native americans. Along with slot's and card tables the town could make some serious money.
We are sick and tired of this crap. These guys can't handle a project like the Bakerville Rest Home as is evidenced by the shameful condition of the place. How are they going to handle a project like Lincoln Park?
We are sick and tired of this crap. They want special treatment for everything they try to do in order to turn what should be routine projects into "the big payoff". If they weren't so greedy trying to get special treatment, they could do these projects, make a FAIR profit, and move on.
We are sick and tired of this crap. Please investigate the planned project for Bakerville road rest home. Bill, let the blogisphere know what they intend to do there and who has granted variances to do so. We are sick and tired of this crap.
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