BOS: Plymouth Rubber 40R project too dense

The Plymouth Rubber redevelopment site is once again at a crossroads after the Board of Selectmen unanimously agreed Tuesday night that the project, as it now stands, is too densely populated and not suited for downtown Canton.

“The community doesn’t need more apartments — there is no void in this type of housing,” noted Selectman Bob Burr, who had been heavily involved in discussions with the developer in his past role as chairman.

Burr’s sentiments were shared by his fellow selectmen, who made their views public in response to a new Chapter 40R application proposed by the developer, Napleton subsidiary Canton Holdings LLC.

Known as the Smart Growth Zoning Overlay District Act, 40R encourages communities to create dense residential or mixed-use zoning districts in existing city and town centers that are close to public transit stations. Use of this option requires a higher percentage of affordable housing units in exchange for financial incentives, such as payments from the Smart Growth Housing Trust Fund.

In the case of the Plymouth Rubber proposal, Canton would have been eligible to receive a one-time payment of $965,000 for a project consisting of 348 housing units, including 204 apartments — of which 25 percent would have been set aside as affordable rather than the traditional 10 percent.

Selectmen, however, all agreed that 200 apartments in downtown Canton would be far too much, especially given the impending arrival of the Avalon project off Randolph Street, which is similar in size.

Selectman Avril Elkort said the Plymouth Rubber project looks excellent on paper, but on a permanent basis would add too many problems to the town. “One thousand people in one section of town is just not for Canton,” she said.

Selectmen Chairman Sal Salvatori and Selectman Victor Del Vecchio both noted that in initial meetings with Canton Holdings representatives a year ago, it was made clear that rental densities would be the hardest obstacle to overcome. Del Vecchio said a number of residents have come up to him saying, “You should do something.”

“Well, the dilemma still exists,” he said, referring to the concern over density. “We are not quite there yet.”

Burr indicated that the “timing is not great” for such a large housing project, citing traffic issues and rising school enrollments. Selectman John Connolly concluded that the town “doesn’t need it” and therefore he could not support it at this time.

Also rejecting the project were three members of the Planning Board, who identified traffic impacts and project density as the critical factors in their decision, according to board member Jeremy Comeau.

School Committee Chairman Cindy Thomas added that while school officials have yet to take a formal vote on the project, they remain concerned about the impact of adding more children, as most of the schools are at or near enrollment capacity.

Bernie Plante of Canton Holdings said at the outset of the meeting that Canton Holdings had only agreed to pursue the 40R application so the town could gain the $965,000 payment. “We are not interested in pursuing it,” he said. “It has no benefit for us. It actually costs us money. We are happy to set aside the 10 percent number of the 204 units as affordable housing.”

Speaking after the meeting, Salvatori said the next move is up to Canton Holdings. And while he would not rule out the possibility of calling a special town meeting in the fall to vote on the proposal, he said the project would have to be revised and the numbers lowered to have the selectmen’s support.

Meanwhile, in other news Tuesday night, selectmen agreed to give Recreation Director Janet Maguire another 10 days (until June 28) to see if any other families are willing to commit to the Gridley School preschool education program despite a substantial tuition hike — at least $100 — or face the possibility of losing the program altogether.

Maguire reported that the preschool is facing a $10,000 deficit because of low enrollment and low tuition fees. Two weeks ago, Town Administrator Bill Friel reported several staff vacancies, and selectmen asked the Recreation Commission to vote on whether to retain the program. The commission voted 3-2 to retain it for an additional year; however, Maguire said tuition and enrollment would have to be raised considerably in order to make the program solvent.

As of now, only 12 families have enrolled for next year. Current fees are $190 per month for the morning session and $230 per month for the afternoon session. Parents who spoke at the meeting said the tuition rates are the lowest in the region, the hours are flexible, and the educational quality of the program is outstanding, although they agreed that the program is not marketed well.

Selectmen will evaluate what happens between now and June 28. If they decide the program does not have enough families, then deposits will be refunded. Selectmen will also consider asking the School Department to take over the program, which they described as more educational than recreational.

In other business:

* Salvatori said he will discuss naming a Reservoir Pond Advisory Committee at the next meeting. He said an Eagle Scout project was completed last weekend that refurbished the boat house, and he recommended that new signs be made to let boaters know the proper entrance to launch their boats into the water.

* Selectmen approved $25,000 out of the NStar Mitigation Account to finance some paving on Pine Street by the water station.

* Stacy Gorman was appointed as a member of the Canton Recreation Commission to fill a vacancy.

* Selectmen accepted a $200 donation from the Canton Lions Club to the Canton Council on Aging.

* Selectmen will next meet on Tuesday, July 9, at 7 p.m.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Jun 20 2013. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.