TURNERS FALLS — Montague town officials hope to create three 0.4-acre house lots from municipal land along Davis Street that is leased to the Gill-Montague School District, for the purpose of developing three affordable owner-occupied single-family homes.
The Planning Board will hold an informational hearing on the proposal on Jan. 15 at 6:45 p.m. in the Montague Town Hall. According to Town Planner Walter Ramsey, following public feedback the Planning Board will make an advisory recommendation to the Selectboard.
The land, which is a field along Davis Street, is currently leased to the Gill-Montague School District near Sheffield Elementary School. The town is in the process of renewing a lease with the school district for Hillcrest and Sheffield schools, which happens every 20 years or so, according to Ramsey.
“(The lease renewal) presents an opportunity to consider how underutilized land at these schools may be better used to advance affordable housing production,” Ramsey said. “There are portions of the school’s leased field along Davis Street that has not been actively used by the school district for many years.”
The district has indicated no future use of this field is planned. According to the informational hearing notice from the town, the proposed development would have no operational or functional impact on the schools.
“Over 27 acres will remain under control of the schools, leaving more than enough room for future expansion and unanticipated future uses,” Ramsey wrote. “The development will not limit any access points to either of the schools.”
The proposal initiated by the Planning Department is for the town to convey the lots to an entity that would develop them, at its expense, into affordable owner-occupied housing for three families.
Ramsey said the Planning Department is working in accordance with the Housing Plan from 2015, which identified a shortage of affordable housing in town and as well as a goal to increase homeownership rates in the village of Turners Falls, where 47 percent of homes are owner-occupied. To address this, the Housing Plan recommends that the town evaluate surplus municipal land for opportunities to address the affordable housing gap in Montague.
“As of right now, this is purely exploratory. We’re going to see how the public reacts and get some input,” Ramsey said. “We’re following what the Housing Plan calls for, evaluating for opportunities for housing development. We’re keeping our options open, certainly.”
In the notice, Ramsey wrote “affordable” is not synonymous with “subsidized” housing.
“The town aspires for the units to be deed-restricted affordable housing whereby the value of the house is capped, to ensure that it is affordable to qualifying low-income households in the future,” Ramsey said. “This affordable homeownership model has proven effective in Montague. Such units comprise Randall Wood Drive, and Winthrop Street subdivisions, as well as Habitat for Humanity homes on L Street and Warner Street.”
Ramsey said while the proposed subdivision is in a preliminary process. The tentative plan is for the Planning Board to accept feedback from the public and use that information to advise the School Committee and Selectboard as to whether to pursue this proposal.
There are various levels of approvals that would be required from the Selectboard and voters at Town Meeting. Ultimately, the town would issue a request for proposals to engage a developer that would build the homes in accordance with the town’s requirements.
According to the informational notice, the size and shape of the three lots would be consistent with others in the neighborhood. There are 17 other house lots that encroach onto the Sheffield/Hillcrest block from Davis, Crocker, Montague and Griswold streets.
“The houses will not be different than other single family homes in the immediate vicinity. Rear and side yard fencing will be required to separate the private properties from the school yard. Sidewalks and trees will be part of the development plan,” according to the notice.
Ramsey added the homes would be towards the road and would have access to the town’s water and sewer mains.