Leary Property Community Housing Task Force 2011-05-25-LEARY-rpt (FINAL)

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LEARY PROPERTY COMMUNITY HOUSING TASK FORCE FINAL REPORT MAY 25, 2011 PROJECT DESCRIPTION NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER Lexington has been very successful in integrating its affordable units in scattered sites around the Town,where they are virtually indistinguishable from any other housing, and the goal for this site is the same harmonious integration. The Task Force has listened to the residents of the area who suggest that even if the Leary parcel could physically accommodate more than six units of housing with off-street parking, such a number would create a community in and of itself—making integration into the neighborhood fabric more difficult—something that both the residents and Task Force wish to avoid. This is one reason the Task Force reduced the number of units it is proposing. The Task Force spent a lot of time exploring context-sensitive solutions, with particular emphasis on the architectural design of the structure(s),their energy efficiency, and how the development would handle storm water and traffic. The Task Force favors incorporating multiple units in a building that resembles the nineteenth century farm house that now stands on the land, perhaps with an additional barn-like structure. The structures would approximate the mass of the large modern home directly across the street from the Leary Land, and should be sited in such a way as to leave open a view of the Leary conservation land. The way in which the design of the site is handled can ameliorate many of the neighbors' concerns, and can ensure that the development is not so large that it will be a neighborhood unto itself, but will contain enough units to make economical use of taxpayer dollars. DENSITY The Task Force's recommendation of up to six units on the site has garnered more attention than any other recommendation it has proposed made regarding the property. There are a number of reasons that led the group to recommend that number. One reason relates to the limited land resources available to the Town for such a development. Another factor is tied to the cost of development: the more units in the development, the lower the per unit subsidy from the taxpayers. For example,the Task Force developed proforma figures based on historical data that showed an approximate per unit cost of$500,000 a unit for a two-unit development versus $300,000 a unit for a six-unit development. (See Appendix 4 for the Task Force's development proforma, summarizing the various hard and soft development costs, and the proposed financing for this project.) The last town-initiated creation of a net new housing unit occurred over 10 years ago (LexHAB's project on Rangeway) and produced a stock duplex. When the Leary Land was acquired, it appeared that the site could hold two such duplexes. However,their design bore no relation to the existing homes on Vine Street in style, size or historical reference. The Task Force believes that context, as affirmed by the Vine Street neighbors, is a critical component of a good development. The Task Force is focused not only on the creation of community housing, but on ensuring that the project fits into the fabric of the neighborhood,that it be energy efficient, and that the planning of the landscape be considered as important an element as any other factor in the project. The number of units is important economically, but more important than the number is how the design of the development fits into the neighborhood. The Task Force heard presentations from a number of architects and developers who showed examples of attractive developments built in other Towns that included small attached units, clustered 5