UPDATE: Read the appeal here.
Developers of the proposed 135-unit apartment complex on Rowe Street in Newton have challenged the city ’s assertion that it has met an affordable housing threshold that would put it outside the parameters of the state’s Chapter 40B affordable housing law, Ellen Ishkanian reports in the Sunday Globe.
If the state determines that the city has met the threshold, the Rowe Street project and other 40B affordable housing proposals can still go forward.
The focus of the review process would be shifted, however, with the city having a greater ability to address local concerns, said James Freas, Newton’s acting planning director.
In addition, rather than a developer being able to appeal a Zoning Board of Appeals decision to the state Department of Housing and Community Development, it would have to go through state Land Court, which is a potentially lengthier and more costly process.
This isn’t surprising. And it’s probably good it gets challenged right away to help clarify things.
Nothing new here. Setti Warren has been talking like this for months. His vision for Newton’s future reflects his age. He is young and wants to see Newton change along with the economic growth spurt of our time.
During the past 20 years we all have seen the cost of buying a home in Newton increase at an accelerated rate. Now developers see our city as a fabulous place to invest capital and make big profits.
Unfortunately many long term residents fail to share this vision. Sorry Setti your pep talk doesn’t tell me anything specific about how all this development will improve the quality of life for the majority of people who live here and want to stay for 30 more years.
The city can’t make up its mind if it did due diligence or just estimates…
The amount of land (excluding publicly-owned land) that contains affordable housing is approximately 110 acres and represents less than one and one-half percent (118.17 acres) of the City’s 7,878 acres of total land area zoned for residential, commercial and industrial use. (June 20 letter from Planning Department to ZBA regarding Court Street)
The city has calculated the land area coverage as well as the percentage of affordable housing units in the city for every 40B development that has been proposed, according to Kahn, who said this is the first time the city’s figures have showed that the land area threshold has definitively been met. (Boston Globe Dec 28)
Debunking the myth of 40B as best as I’ve seen it described in TAB: http://shar.es/1bEs3L