Selectmen Vote Against Local Initiative Project on Foundry Street

The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Monday night not to support a proposed Local Initiative Project on Foundry Street across from New Pond that would have consisted of 76 for-sale units.

The site had been approved by the Board of Selectmen in 2004 in the form of 144 rental units called "Saw Mill Pond Apartments."

The current proposal was brought forth by Iqbal Ali of Metrowest Builders who was represented by Paul Cusson of Delphic Associates and Attorney Walter Jabbs.

Town officials said that a lot had changed since the previous development was approved.

"When the prior project was approved, the Target hadn’t been developed," Board of Selectmen Chair said. "I was on the board when that prior project was approved, but that was a different time."

"For me, right now, a very dense project with environmental concern - it's not a project I would back as an LIP," added Selectman Ellen Barlow.

A Local Initiative Project (LIP) "seeks to stimulate the production of affordable housing opportunities by fostering cooperation between municipalities and housing developers. The program provides technical assistance to developers and municipalities seeking to develop housing that serves households at or below 80% of the area median income within mixed-income (market and affordable) housing developments," according to the Department of Housing and Economic Development.

The proposed development had 25% of the units deemed as affordable as the term is used for the purposes of chapter 40B. 151 parking spaces and a 9,900 gallon per-day spetic tank was proposed. 12 of the 76 units would were three-bedroom. 40 were one-bedroom units and 24 were two-bedroom units.

Corona said Ali still has the ability to move forward with the project, but would not have the support of the Selectmen through the Local Initiative Program. Corona and Barlow both noted the progress the town has made since the previous proposal in 2004 in terms of developing affordable housing, citing the Shovelshops, Queset Commons and Winterberry Hills.

Department of Public Works Director Wayne Southworth also noted that the addition of 74 units between Five Corners and Target would be a traffic concern.

"There are two routed highways here," he said. "We have 106 and 123 which are the heaviest traveled roadways in the town of Easton. Site distance is very poor. The DPW has concerns with any addition to that roadway as it is now."

"I just can't support anything this dense on that site," added Corona.