Forbes Hill Could Be Norwood's For $13 Million

NORWOOD, MA — The selectmen are hoping that there is no more confusion about the Forbes Hill and Avalon Bay 40B developments following their brief meeting Tuesday night.

Selectmen Chairman William Plasko apologized Tuesday for leaving the price of purchase for the entire Forbes Hill development and the number of apartments in Avalon Bay out of their announcement last month,

"While we thought the announcement was clear, some people did not," Plasko said.

As part of the Forbes Hill deal, the project's size has decreased from 300 units to 260. The unused land, about nine acres, will become town property and will remain undeveloped for 10 years. After that, the town will have the option to do something else with the property. In addition, Special Town Meeting will have the option to buy the entire site. What was left out of the original announcement was the $13 million price tag.

In the Avalon Bay agreement, the former home of Plimpton Press will be cleaned up and turned into a development with housing units. The new project has fewer units than the Plimpton Press 40R project and includes a buffer of landscaped land over 50 feet wide. Avalon has agreed to a mitigation payment of $198,000 and a $130,000 infiltration and inflow payment to the town. Plasko clarified Tuesday that 260 units will be built, not 300.

"I think just because of our familiarity with the subject they got left off," Plasko said.

Town officials previously contested the projects, believing that they had dedicated 1.5 percent of Norwood land to affordable housing. Massachusetts communities are required by state law to comply with the 1.5 percent rule or dedicate 10 percent of housing stock to affordable housing. The selectmen believe they now meet and exceed both rules.

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