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Last week, I joined my fellow committee members at the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. Mostly we just sat there while an attorney from the Department of Housing and Community Development and the architect that is designing the project.
Twelve units (six buildings) of affordable housing are planned for Amherst Street. The land has seen a little work, but it has yet to see any excavating or building. At the meeting I leaned over and asked Housing Authority Chair George Knight when the project began. He estimated about 18 years ago. George is the longest-serving member of the Housing Authority. He was first appointed by the Governor 20 years ago. This year he ran for the position and was elected.
As the DHG reports, there were no complaints from neighbors to the property, though there were many questions and concerns. Architecturally, the buildings are designed to look like typical New England houses and are expected to blend in with the rest of the neighborhood.
--Mb
4 responses so far ↓
1 Allison
// Oct 29, 2008 at 6:35 pm
OK - every city/town thinks that "affordable" or subsidized housing is the answer to the funding issues (or lack thereof) WRONG - Has anyone ever thought far enough ahead that what happens when the subsidy runs out? Most if not ALL subsidies today have an "end date" usually 30 years -- then what? Who takes care of the project ??? Sort of similiar to when the town landfill closes,,, Granby will be responsible for the "maintenance" -- as such the same for subsidized housing.....
2 admin
// Oct 29, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I don't know what funding issues you're talking about. The public housing in Granby is self-contained. It receives no money from the state for it.
The affordable housing in Granby may be "subsidized," but aside from its location, and the make up of the board, it has nothing to do with Granby. The housing is owned by the state, not the residents or the town.
Granby has no obligation to Phin's Hill, and it won't have one for the 12 units on Amherst Street. As far as Granby is concerned, these are just apartments. The town doesn't even have to plow the driveway. Granby would not be forced to take over the maintenance of housing it doesn't own.
I don't know anything about subsidies ending in 30 years. Phin's Hill has been in existence for over 30 years.
Mark
3 Dawna Brisebois
// Oct 31, 2008 at 8:09 pm
With these questions and those of the other project on School Street (Partyka's project to build 160-170 units), does Phin's Hill fall under the 10% or less of affordable housing guidelines under Chapter 40B as long as they have long-term affordability restrictions? And if this low to moderate housing project is not complete before the other Partyka's project starts,assuming he will follow the Chapter 40B in order to bypass certain local zoning, conservation and other laws, and his project consists of atleast 25% of affordable moderate income housing, will this-because of it's size- eliminate the other project or cause him to take the Chapter 40R approach and have to pay fiancial incentives to the municipality as a Smart Growth zoning district?
4 Mark
// Nov 1, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Dawna,
You definitely know more than I do in regards to Chapter 40B.
I don't know anything more than what's in the news regarding the St. Hyacinth's property, which I believe is still in the planning stages, regardless of MassLive rumors.
The last I knew Parytka was talking about bringing in sewers from Belchertown. I suppose he could start without sewers, but it would be costly, I think, to build a large septic system for apartments. I'll have to look into it, but I don't know anything about the project going forward.
Although the Housing Authority is the agent for the housing on Amherst Street, aside from some procedural votes and acting as a conduit for the state money, we've approved the design and that's about it. When the project was originally conceived, it was with the intention of preventing someone from coming in and throwing up a bunch of public housing. Of course, that was 20 years ago.
Mark