Eight Homes Proposed For Crowell Road Parcel

CHATHAM – Last month, the zoning board of appeals turned down a request for a special permit to build three single-family homes at 104 Crowell Rd., with the majority united in their conviction that the property was better suited to affordable or attainable housing.

 Last week, property owner Ronald Rudnick returned to the board with a preliminary proposal for eight single-family homes on the 57,000-square-foot parcel. While the houses would not be affordable, Rudnick said they would be modest in size and priced for the “missing middle,” those who earn too much to qualify for affordable housing and not enough to afford the town’s $1.7 million average home cost.

 Despite efforts by zoning board members, Rudnick would not be pinned down on the price of the proposed houses, which he said would contain three bedrooms, a two-car garage and be in the range of 2,200 square feet.

 Rudnick previously indicated that Chatham’s zoning bylaw made it difficult to put more than three or four homes on the property to meet the dire need for low-cost housing or dormitory-like accommodations. However, recent changes to the state zoning laws governing variances gives the zoning board more flexibility in addressing this type of proposal. Because the property is zoned commercial, a special permit would otherwise have been required to build single-family homes on the land. That’s what the board turned down in late August. The property previously held the Meservey Accounting commercial building. Rudnick said while he could by right build a commercial structure with five incidental apartments on the property, the town does not need more commercial space.

 “I believe the town needs residential,” he said. “The town does not need commercial.”

 The Sept. 24 session was unusual in that it was an informal, pre-application discussion, something the board has never done before, according to its members. On the advice of town counsel, while they could hear the proposal and give feedback, they could not vote or indicate how they would vote on the proposed plan.

 Rudnick likened the proposal to the Seacrest Village development that he built off Route 28 across from the Cornfield in 2011. It would have similar landscaping but the homes would be more modest, he said, and would not have the same amenities such as a pool and tennis courts. Homes in that development, averaging around 3,500 square feet, initially sold for $700,000 to $800,000, he said. Most houses in the neighborhood are now assessed at more than $1 million.

 Rudnick said he initially tried to fit 11 homes on the Crowell Road parcel, but that was “way too much.” 

 “I felt that eight was the most I could fit in there,” he said.

 ZBA members reacted positively to the proposal.

 “We need a lot of different approaches to ultimately do whatever we can to help maintain some level of economic diversity in the residents of this town,” said David Veach. “That’s what we’re losing as the home prices keep going up.” The homes proposed by Rudnick would “hit the missing middle” that often can’t afford current real estate prices, he said.

 “I think this might be a good fit for this area, and I’d be interested in seeing what the next step is,” added associate member Steve DeBoer.

 “I think your heart is in the right place and you have the experience to do this,” added Paul Semple.

 “In concept, I like where you’re going,” said vice chair Virginia Fenwick. She expressed concern for the price the homes would sell for, but Rudnick would not be pinned down on a figure, saying he couldn’t commit to a cost until he had a building permit in hand.

 “Every day is thousands of dollars, just the cost of the money,” he said, adding that he wasn’t worried about losing money on the project. “Chatham prices always go up,” he said.

 After getting positive feedback from the board, Rudnick said he would work with his architects to further develop the plans.