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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAffordable Housing Options Committee report, 09-25-1989 AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS COMMITTEE Progress Report to Special Town Meeting, Sept 25, 1989 THE COMMITTEE The Affordable Housing Options Committee was appointed by the Board of Selectmen on June 5, 1989, in accordance with a decision of the 1989 Annual Town Meeting Its core membership is made up of one representative from each of eight concerned town boards and one from each precinct under the co-chairmanships of Selectman John Eddison and Planning Board Member Eleanor Klauminzer It has received strong professional support from Planning Director Robert Bowyer The precinct representatives are all current or former Town Meeting members who offered their services and who represent a diversity of backgrounds and points of view Committee members have been appointed for one year with the expectation that the Committee will make its report to the 1990 Annual Town Meeting following an interim report to a Special Town Meeting in the fall of 1989 THE CHARGE The Options Committee was charged with assisting concerned town boards in a) bringing together existing studies, reports and data relevant to decision making on affordable housing in Lexington; b) integrating housing goals with other town objectives and policies ; c) expanding the range of options for financing the affordable units; d) assembling an inventory of potential sites for affordable housing; and e) fostering townwide discussion and understanding of affordable housing guidelines and possibilities ORGANIZATION AND PROGRESS The Options Committee met three times during the latter half of June Its initial meetings were devoted to orienting its diverse membership to the job to be done and to providing them with a common background on the available literature and the recent history of affordable housing in Lexington. It soon became apparent that the Committee could function more effectively if it were to divide into two task forces which would address separate aspects of its charge This was done A Goals and Policies Task Force, headed by Eleanor Klauminzer, was formed to evaluate the need for affordable housing and to examine the relationship of the town' s housing goals with other town policies and objectives; and a Technioues and Strategies Task Force, led by William Spencer, was named to identify and evaluate techniques and instruments for creating low cost housing These task forces met almost weekly throughout the summer while coming together periodically to share their findings and confer with consultants In a parallel activity, Director Bowyer and the Planning Department have undertaken to prepare for the Committee an annotated inventory of town owned land 1 —2— The Goals and Policies Task Force established a_working outline for its intended end product. Elements of the plan are 1 Review of the need for affordable housing in Lexington. 2 Integration of housing plan with other town goals (such as open space and land use, public services) 3. Examination of impact of housing development on neighborhoods, schools and traffic (data from Lexington Planning Department) 4 A general Housing Policy statement 5. Examination of criteria for reviewing Chapter 774 (comprehensive permit) applications Task force members have collected data from state and town housing agencies , have determined numbers and demographic characteristics of people on waiting lists for existing affordable units, and are examining census data and decision-making procedures for housing in similar towns After several discussions aimed at identifying problems associated with affordable housing, the task force has worked to determine how best to address these concerns To be included in the task force report will be considerations of aesthetics and neighborhood compatibility, the impact on property values , appropriate dispersion throughout the town, and the balance between conserving land and building housing consistent with community objectives Considerable effort has gone into devising a questionnaire to assess community perceptions Surveying community opinion will begin with a questionnaire to be distributed following the September 25 Special Town Meeting We anticipate that community opinion will be gathered through several methods in order to provide a broad cross section of views The Techniques Task Force began its work by making a list of all of the technical and financial approaches to creating affordable housing which might be applicable to Lexington In doing so, it was aware of the fact that substantial state funding would not be available and that there would be keen competition for such modest sums as were to be had The task force also assumed that it would not be realistic to expect that private developers would generate much low cost housing The group took pains not to overlook any method which might prove useful The task force analyzed a variety of approaches that would reduce the construction, land and finance costs of affordable housing It then classified these approaches in terms of their feasibility. Top priority has been given to techniques which are "readily available and for which a town precedent has been established" Currently in the top category, for example, are such techniques as modular housing, town houses and other higher density designs -3- The second level of feasibility has been defined as "promising, but requiring further development " At present, it includes among others, accessory apartments, congregate housing and new, low cost architectural designs The third level of feasibility includes approaches which are felt to be "problematical and not promising " One such is the subdividing of a large house purchased on the open market This exercise is still in its early stages, and the priorities now assigned to each may change after further study Within the task force, subgroups have been investigating and reporting on subjects including state support for local housing programs , expediting of accessory apartments , assistance from community banks, recent developments in modular housing, the management of housing projects , and housing promotion through not-for-profit organizations The Inventory of Town Land has been proceeding throughout the summer but is still some time away from completion It is being carried out in two phases. The first phase has entailed the classification of over 900 parcels of town owned land Of this total 70 have been identified as being one acre or more in size and not in Conservation jurisdiction These parcels are now being further defined by location and examined for legal encumbrances including use, date of acquisition, and the public purpose for which they were acquired Much of this information is not computerized and must be obtained from legal and historical records For those parcels which emerge from the first phase as looking most promising, the second phase consists of screening them further by physical attributes, size and suitability for housing Such factors as slope, soils , hydrology, visual impact, utilities' access, distance from schools and availability of public transportation will be considered The intent of the Options Committee at the end of the inventory is to come up with a number of parcels, which can be given serious consideration for housing construction NEXT STEPS The Options Committee and its two task forces will continue to meet and pursue the Committee' s charge through the fall and winter months in posted meetings open to the public. We would also like to propose a special meeting with interested Town Meeting members on Thursday November 30 to discuss our interim findings and to obtain feedback and comment Respectfully submitted, John C Eddison and Eleanor Klauminzer, Co-chairmen -4— Goals and Policies Task Force Eleanor Klauminzer (Planning Board) , Chair Gerri Weathers (Fair Housing Committee) Ruth Walton (Precinct 1) — Lillian MacArthur (Precinct 2) Marian Reilly (Precinct 3) Gail Colwell (Precinct 4) Eric Michelson (Precinct 5) Cathy Abbott (Precinct 7) Diana Garcia (Precinct 8) Richard Schaye (Precinct 9) Techniques and Strategies Task Force William T Spencer, (Lexington Housing Authority) Chair John C. Eddison (Selectman) John A Oberteuffer (School Committee) Lisa A Baci (Conservation Commission) Sam V Nablo (Recreation Committee) Sara F Schoman (Precinct 6) Jan Brandin (Resource adviser) Edmund Grant (Liaison - CoA) Thomas Gouzoule (Liaison-Condo Conversion Board)