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 so as to preserve open space and yet accommodate multiple units with off-street parking. One concept plan demonstrated that as many as twelve units could actually be built on the land available, and others showed up to eight units. The Task Force was initially persuaded that eight units could be accommodated on this site if properly designed and sited. However, after hearing from Vine Street residents,who were concerned about a density level out of harmony with the existing neighborhood and about traffic that would increase with additional families, the Task Force has agreed that no more than six units should be considered. NUMBER OF UNITS The Task Force has concluded that a development of five or six units is possible and would not overburden the site or the neighborhood. Such a development balances the abutters' desire to have an integrated development which does not overwhelm the neighborhood with new traffic with the Town's ongoing need to produce a meaningful number of affordable units at a reasonable cost to maintain the ten percent of affordable units on the state's Subsidized Housing Inventory. Because of limited land resources and opportunities available to the Town,the Task Force looked to create as many units of housing as the site could reasonably accommodate. The Task Force weighed the trade-offs between maximizing the return on public investment in the site (a low per unit subsidy),general development principles, and the impacts of development on the neighborhood. ARCHITECTURAL STYLE The Task Force believes that the architecture of the redeveloped site should reflect a traditional New England farmhouse style, in both size and scale. Buildings of this kind would harmonize with other homes in the neighborhood and would refer to the historic use of the site as a dairy farm. (Appendix 5 includes images of architectural examples. UNIT DESCRIPTIONS Based on discussions with both LexHAB and the Lexington Housing Authority,to serve the greatest demand the unit mix should focus on two and three bedroom units, ranging from about 900 SF to 1,400 SF. In general these are slightly larger (by about 200 SF)than the State's minimums. To comply with Federal and State Fair Housing law at least one unit should be fully accessible. TRAFFIC Vine Street is a very narrow street, with a sharp turn at the point where the Leary Land is sited. In some spots two-way travel is difficult. Vine Street residents are very concerned about any increase in traffic on their street for reasons of congestion and safety, particularly for children. The Lexington Planning Department had a traffic count done, which indicated that approximately 82 car trips occur on the street each week day, and approximately 60 car trips each weekend day. Six units may generate 40 to 60 additional trips per day, but even the addition of these trips over a 24-hour period does not reach a level of traffic that would trigger the requirement for a traffic study. Nevertheless,the Planning Department has indicated its willingness to work with a traffic engineer to find ways to address the neighborhood's concerns. 6