Myths vs Facts #5 of housing project at Sowams Nursery

This is fifth in a series of articles regarding the proposed construction of a corporate owned $14.5million, multi-unit, rental apartment complex at the Sowams Nursery on Sowams Road. While this project has been discussed since early last year, there still exist many assumptions and myths about the nature of the project and the LMIH goals used as justification.

We are setting the record straight.

Myth

The only way to do affordable housing is to develop new housing

• Fact: Existing housing can be converted to LMIH-compliance through renovation, donation and reclassification. We have many such candidate properties in town. Further, with no projected population growth through 2040, conversion of existing units is more economically feasible than construction of new. We already have a situation with the Walker’s Farm development on County Road where there isn’t a market for the LMIH-compliant housing built there.
  • The Town recently turned down a request by managers of the Walker Farm development to cover $123,000 losses experienced by the managers of the project due to an inability to sell houses. 

Check out even more Myths vs Facts on our website! And be sure to check your Barrington Times paper this coming Wednesday for a new Letter to the Editor about environmental impact.

Important Meeting!

Come to the public town hearing on the East Bay Community Development Corporation’s Master Plan application for construction of a corporate owned $14.5million, multi-unit, rental apartment complex at the Sowams Nursery on Sowams Road.

For further information, join us at http://www.codder02806.com or email wweepers@gmail.com