Old Harbor Rd. Development Parameters Reaffirmed; Select Board Sets Guidelines For Housing Project

CHATHAM – Officials want to ensure that developers interested in building housing on town property at 127 Old Harbor Rd. know exactly what is expected — and what isn’t.

 The select board took several votes last week setting guidelines to be incorporated into a solicitation for proposals for development of the former Marion Nickerson Ellis property.

 Most of the details discussed at the April 7 session had already been set by the board, including the maximum number of housing units and buildings officials want to see on the property. Board members said they wanted to make sure developers who respond to the solicitation know the acceptable parameters.

 “I don’t want to lose control over what’s happening there,” said board member Stuart Smith. It’s also important to allow some flexibility, said board member Shareen Davis.

 “I want to see what comes back” from developers, she said.

 Before a final solicitation is advertised, it will come back before the select board for approval, said Chair Dean Nicastro. He added that the project will likely require town funding and therefore the final proposal will have to go before town meeting.

 Board members voted to limit the number of buildings on the parcel to two to three, and to set the range of the total number of units at four to six. The board also voted to remove language in a draft document that discouraged single-family homes with wording that encourages renovation or reconstruction on the house that’s currently on the property.

 The votes came in response to design guidelines developed by Utile Architecture and Planning, which are meant to help officials decide on parameters for the project. Town meeting voted several years ago to devote the land to affordable and/or attainable housing, focusing on homeownership and targeting the units to municipal employees, which the town’s designation as a seasonal community allows.

 The property remains controversial, however, because in donating the property to the town in 1971, Mrs. Ellis insisted that the existing buildings (the house and a barn) remain and that the property be used to benefit the children of the community. Part of the land was incorporated into the adjacent Chatham Elementary School playground. Two town counsels have opined that restrictions on the donation expired after 30 years. Several neighbors have threatened to sue over use of the property for housing, but no legal action has yet been taken.

 The existing home was damaged by a fire in February. The town’s building commission had previously expressed doubt that the building, which has been vacant for years, could be renovated. Select board members said last week that they prefer that the building be incorporated into the development, either by renovation or being rebuilt to reflect its current size and appearance.

 But a second single-family home on the property would probably not meet the goal of having at least four units on the parcel. Townhouses, along with the existing home, were among the preliminary design plans presented by Utile.

 “A diversity of units will provide a diversity of opportunity for town employees,” said Utile’s Courtney McCracken.

 Board member Jeffrey Dykens warned about getting too specific in the solicitation.

 “I think we’re overthinking this,” he said, urging the document to be “as flexible as possible” and let the market dictate the best options.

 Board members know their goal with the project, added Davis: homeownership units for families, preferably municipal employees, that fit into the neighborhood. “We can’t nitpick this project,” she said.

 “This could be a really beautiful addition to the neighborhood,” she said. “It’s providing year-round homes. This would be a really proud moment for the town.”

 Invoking the seasonal community designation to try to direct the housing toward teachers would help fulfill Mrs. Ellis’ intent, said Smith.

 The solicitation document is already more restrictive than usual, said Housing and Sustainability Director Gloria McPherson. “It’s so specific, and I wouldn’t want to get more specific,” she said. “We need flexibility and we need to keep it open so that we get proposals” that allow for some creativity.

 McPherson will work with Utile to develop the solicitation document and return to the select board for its final approval.