Link back to department page

Minutes Monday, April 2, 2007
Regular Meeting
Planning Board Agenda for Monday, April 2, 2007

Scheduled:

            7:00 PM           Jim O'Brien, Hingham Housing Partnership

                                    Discussion of Proposal for Selectmen's Parcel and Warrant Article to Create Housing Trust

            7:45 PM           Form A- Oakwood Circle (David Chase)

            8:00 PM           Request to Extend Time of Completion for Fresh River  Landing           

            8:15 PM           Review of Zoning Articles-Preparation for Town Meeting

            Old/New Business

            Minutes/Bills

            Update on Linden Ponds-Proposed Modification

            Upcoming Schedule

Central Meeting Room North                      

Present: Planning Board Members, Susan Murphy, Chair, Paul Healey, Clerk, Sarah Corey, Judy

Sneath and Gary Torndorf-Dick.  Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy.

Ms. Murphy opened the public meeting at 7:10 P.M. at the Hingham Town Hall.

RE:  Jim O'Brien, Hingham Housing Partnership

Jim O'Brien, Chairman of the Hingham Housing Partnership, came before the Board to discuss 1) the pending warrant article to create a Housing Trust, and 2) the status of the Housing Partnership's efforts to develop affordable housing on the "Selectmen's Parcel" in the School Depot land on Beal Street as directed by the 2005 Town Meeting.

Mr. O'Brien summarized the goals of Town Meeting Article 21, to create the Hingham Affordable Housing Trust. Chapter 44, Section 55C of the Massachusetts General Laws permits cities and Towns to establish a Municipal Housing Trust with a vote of Town Meeting.  The Housing Partnership reviewed 17 Housing Trusts in other Towns, and recommends a model based on a Trust adopted in Duxbury.  The purpose of the Trust is to "provide for the creation and preservation of affordable housing in the Town of Hingham for low-and moderate income housing." The Trust would have a board of trustees with 5-9 members appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The purpose of creating such a trust would be to provide the Town with:

1)      a funded agency to concentrate exclusively on housing issues allowing for more cohesive and sustained long term planning and action,

2)      the potential to react to market conditions by acquiring and disposing of property when it is advantageous, unencumbered by the Town Meeting schedule, and

3)      an ongoing mechanism for securing and using State and federal funds, mitigation funds under the zoning by-law, or resulting from negotiations with developers,  gifts, donations, and Community Preservation Committee funds if approved by Town meeting.

No funding for the Trust from the Town's operating or capital budget is being asked for in this article. Mr. O'Brien noted that he is expecting the Trust will be funded initially from the contribution made by the developers of Canterbury Village, and hopefully eventually from donations, mitigation funds, and grants.

Ms. Murphy asked if the Hingham trust would have an allocation plan similar to Duxbury's, which maps out guidelines for how any money held in the trust money can be spent. For example, such a plan would say that 30% of annual expenditures would be for purchasing existing property, and 20% for maintaining existing affordable units. Jim said that the there would be a similar allocation plan.

Susan Murphy stated that it was very important that the Trust have a designated staff person to manage their various projects. Jim O'Brien said that the Trust will be set up so that funds can be used to pay for staff salaries.

Judy Sneath asked whether there would be conflicts between the Housing Trust, the Partnership and the CPC. Jim acknowledged that it would be very important to make sure that all of these entities worked smoothly together. He pointed out that the Trust may supercede the Partnership if successful.

Mr. O'Brien noted that one of the most important functions of a Trust would be to give the Town the flexibility to exercise their right of first refusal if 40B units became available for sale, and a qualified buyer was not located within the specified time frame.

Gary Tondorf-Dick asked about the Town's status on the Subsidized Housing Inventory, and the whether the Trust could be charged with developing a Planned Production plan per Department of Housing and Community Development regulations. Jim responded that this could certainly could be a function of the Trust.

Sarah Corey expressed concern that a Trust with this much independence could work at cross purposes to the goals of the Town. Jim O'Brien noted that since the members would be appointed by the Selectmen this was unlikely.

Jim O'Brien quickly reviewed the proposal to develop housing at the Selectmen's parcel. At this point only two are under consideration: Affirmative Investments and South Shore Housing. SSH is proposing 40, Townhouse-style units in groups of two or three, with 70% of the houses below market and below cost, and 50% for households between 50%-80% of median income. A cash payment of $382,500 would go to the Town. SSH would further subsidize the project with state and federal grants and loans. Affirmative's proposal includes 38 units, with 10 units (26%) targeted towards people earning less than 80% of median income. Affirmative's proposal would be relying on a sizable subsidy from Community Preservation Act funds.

Mr. O'Brien said that the Housing Partnership will be voting to recommend one of these at their next meeting. Jim Watson spoke in favor of the South Shore Housing proposal, saying that it provided more affordable units, and did not rely on Town money. Ms. Lacy noted that some of SSH's projects did not seem very attractive, and Mr. Watson explained that many of them were in pre-existing developments.

The Board thanked Mr. O'Brien for his time. 

RE:  Form A- Oakwood Circle (David Chase)

This Form A divides a piece of land owned by David Chase on Oakwood Circle into three pieces, each of which will be conveyed to the three abutting property owners.

It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to endorse the Form A entitled, "Plan of Land Hingham Mass", dated March 9, 2007, prepared by Keefe Associates, Pembroke, MA for Southgate Realty Trust, 188 Whiting Street, Hingham, MA, owner and applicant.

RE:  Request to Extend Time of Completion for Fresh River Landing    

Carl  Erickson came before the Board on behalf of the Bristol Brothers, developers of the Fresh River Landing Subdivision off Fort Hill Street, to request an extension of the completion date for the subdivision from May 2007 to May, 2008. This project was originally endorsed in 2001, and construction of the roadway has been largely complete for several years. To date, however, only four of the eight house lots have been developed.  Mr. Erickson indicated that he had contacted the bond company, and that they had agreed to extend the surety for another year.

It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to approve the request "to extend the period for completion of the Fresh River Landing Subdivision to May 1, 2008 subject to the provision of evidence that the surety has similarly been extended."

RE:  Review of Zoning Articles-Preparation for Town Meeting

Board members were joined by Mary Power of the Zoning Permit Study Committee for this discussion. Board members reviewed all of the articles, and identified the following assignments for presentations at Town Meeting.

Article 25         Changes to Site Plan Review:  Susan Murphy

Article 26         Rezone Parcels on Fottler Road: Paul Healey

Article 27         Definition of Structure: Sarah Corey and Don Pinto

Article 28         Enforcement: Susan Murphy and Bill Ramsey

Article 29         Changes to the FRD:    Gary Tondorf-Dick and Jerry Seelen

Article 30         Changes to the Parking By-Law: Sarah Corey and Jerry Seelen

Article 31         Changes to Requirements for Multi-Unit Developments: Gary and Jerry Seelen

Article 32         Changes to Non-Conforming Use By-Law:       Judy Sneath and Mary Power

Article 33         Changes to Wireless By: Law: Judy Sneath and Selectmen       

Article 34         Rezone Montessori School Property:    Paul Healey

Ms. Murphy noted that because five of the articles were jointly sponsored by the Planning Board and the Zoning Permit Study Committee, that they could look to the designated committee member for back up information or rebuttals if needed. She warned, however, that having too many people speak on any one article can get tedious, especially if there does not appear to be any opposition.

Old/New Business

Minutes/Bills

It was moved, seconded, and SO VOTED, unanimously, by those present to accept the minutes of February 26, 2007 and March 19, 2007.

Linden Ponds

Ms. Lacy reported that the Zoning Administrator had notified her that at its meeting on March 15, 2007, the ZBA opened the Erickson application for the proposal to modify the existing Comprehensive Permit issued in September 2001 to add a parking deck in Neighborhood 3 and to add a single floor to Residential Building 3.2 (Formerly RB 3.4), maintaining the permitted 1750 units.  While the Board did not formerly vote on this matter, or close the hearing, they did give an informal preliminary approval of the proposal, known as "Option A", with some conditions. Erickson asked that the ZBA inform the Planning Board of this informal preliminary approval so that they could consider it during the site plan review process. 

Ms. Murphy responded that she did not feel that Site Plan Review would be required in association with the issuance of a Building Permit because the building was part of a Comprehensive Permit.

The meeting adjourned at 9:55 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Katharine Lacy

Town Planner