Selectmen Advance Jefferson Road Affordable Housing Proposal

WILMINGTON, MA — The Wilmington Board of Selectmen voted to endorse a Local Initiative Petition for an affordable housing apartment complex on Jefferson Road, at their Monday meeting. The proposal, from Princeton Properties, would create two buildings and 108 rental apartment units, of which 20 percent would be affordable. The proposed height is four stories and a maximum of 55 feet, if the Zoning Board of Appeals asks for a pitched roof.

Princeton CEO Andrew Chaban presented the project, a follow-up to a more open-ended presentation at a September selectmen meeting. Since that meeting, they reduced the project from 120 units to 108, after discussions with town officials. They also replaced underground parking with 36 garages separate from the apartment buildings, to reduce the height. The proposal has a 1.7 parking spaces per unit ratio, Chaban said.

Princeton Properties also plans to apply for state funds on behalf of the town, to extend the town's sewers to the area. The Jefferson Road site is part of the town's existing sewer master plan, Chaban noted, and the sewer extension would "unlock" other parcels, including ones owned by the town. They would apply for a $2 million state grant, via MassWorks, to cover the sewer extension and fixing a failing culvert in the area, Chaban said.

The Local Initiative Project will need to get approval from the state's Department of Housing and Community Development, and the project will need to go through the Zoning Board and Conservation Commission processes. Chaban showed a timeline with construction beginning in April, 2020.

The project won support from four selectmen, with Selectman Michael McCoy the lone vote against. Town Manager Jeffrey Hull also supported the proposal, arguing that if the town turns down the project, it might fall before the state Chapter 40B requirement of 10% affordable housing. If it fell below that threshold, the town would have less ability to say no to future projects.

Seventy percent of the affordable units would be designated for the town, with the Zoning Board of Appeals setting the standard for who that applies to.

Resident Ethan Sawyer asked the board if it was appropriate to vote on the measure, as it was listed on the agenda under "appointments" rather than "board to consider," but the town counsel told the board that it was legal to vote on something on the agenda, as long as it's not a standing discussion item.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.