Selectmen Approve Affordable Housing Plan

The Board of Selectmen last night approved the 2011 Affordable Housing Plan, a document that the plan's developers said does not bind the town but "could be used as leverage" against unwanted 40B developments.

John Edward of the Affordable Housing Committee told selectmen state affordable housing laws require 10 percent of all housing in towns to be affordable.

In Chelmsford, that would mean 1,374 units, and the town currently has 995. According to the presentation, that would mean 379 new required units for the town at .5% annual growth target, or 69 units per year.

"Having a plan gives the town leverage when a developer overrides a town decision or when board doesn’t approve a project," said Edward. "One out of every four households earns less than $50,000 and the population is growing older. With the demographics, the problem is likely to get worse before it gets better."

The committee eyed a number of places in town where affordable housing could go:

• 16-20 Boston Road
• 11 Cushing Place
• 26-34 North Road
• 33 Vinal Square/9 Princeton St
• 50 Hunt Road
• 111 Chelmsford Street
• 133 Princeton Street
• 233-273 Littleton Road
• 280-284 Chelmsford Street
• 276-282 Mill Road
• 80-104 Turnpike Road
• 271-279 Chelmsford Street
• Princeton Court

The plan also takes into account which kinds of housing would be best for the different neighborhoods in town, Edward said.

"There has been misinformation out there in the last few years, such as if we build affordable housing, it will have a detrimental fiscal impact on the town," he said. "That's not true. Studies show when it comes to fiscal impact that (more dense) affordable housing units tend to have a positive fiscal impact."

 Edward told selectmen the plan is not a binding one.

"Our plan does not say how to produce or where to produce units, but we are giving the town a toolbox and a number of strategies, and approaches where it’s plausible, and that’s what this plan needs to be reviewed as – a toolbox," he said.

The state's affordable housing law is something the town is required to adhere by, Edward said, and the plan helps the town control where and how it is built.

"This does not commit the town to anything," he said. "If the town can produce 69 units of affordable housing during 2012, as long as those units are compatible with the plan ... we’re good. We had to put a schedule of where the town would be most likely to produce units in the next five years but it does not represent a commitment on the part of the town."

The presentation came just as a new Better not Bigger mailing from Roland Van Liew hit many residents' mailboxes. That mailing can be viewed in a PDF above.

Jon Kurland read the front part of the mailing's envelope: "Chelmsford town gov't proposes 375 new 40B units over the next five years on town-owned open space."

Edward said of all the sites eyed in the plan, only one - Oak Hill - is owned by the town and is considered open space.

"I can't find anything correct about that statement," said Edward.

"We are required by law to attain a particular level of affordable housing, so this plan provides us with a certain amount of protection against some 40B developers (who might) put something (somewhere) that we don’t want," said Kurland, adding that affordable housing developed by the town would at least be in the town's control. "If we can control what we are required to have, that is better than having developers come in ... this is a road map, it's not carved in stone ... I am whole-heartedly in favor of us trying to grab the bull by the horns and trying to control the way Chelmsford is going look in five or ten years."

Selectmen Jim Lane, Matt Hanson and Pat Wojtas agreed and supported the plan.

"I think it’s a solid plan that obviously had a lot of thought put into it, from a well-rounded committee," said Lane. "And it’s a good start."