As seen in the Cape Cod Chronicle, by Alan Pollock

CHATHAM – As public housing projects go, the 14 units planned for the town-owned Stepping Stones Road land is much smaller than the big developments planned for West Chatham and South Chatham. But because it focuses on providing units that can be purchased outright by middle-income families, town officials hope it will have an oversized impact on the housing crisis.

By vote of the select board last week, the town has begun negotiations with the Hyannis-based nonprofit Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) to build the 14 townhouse units of workforce housing, pending funding approval at town meeting and receipt of a comprehensive permit from the zoning board.

While there’s an obvious need for affordable housing available to people who earn 80 percent or less of the area median income (AMI), “I think as we all know, there’s a lack of housing available to people with incomes at higher levels,” said HAC Director of Housing Development David Quinn. “So it was really exciting to see the town interested in pursuing this type of project.”

Quinn presented HAC’s preliminary proposal to the select board on Feb. 10. The town has eyed the parcel for housing since the land was rejected as a site for a new senior center; since that time, the affordable housing trust drafted a request for proposals for development of the property, and HAC was the sole respondent. Since then, a small proposal evaluation team that included select board member Cory Metters has been working with HAC to refine a plan.

“This is a property we’ve been following for a long time, watching the town’s efforts as you’ve gone through the process of assessing the feasibility of the site,” Quinn said. 

HAC has selected SV Design to draft up conceptual plans for the parcel, which is approximately two acres in size and lies between the road and the Old Colony Rail Trail, adjacent to Monomoy Middle School. SV Design, which has an office in Chatham, also worked with HAC to design the affordable rental development at the former Masonic lodge site at 107 Main St., Orleans. The choice of SV Design was deliberate, Quinn said.

“I think this shows how careful we are with thinking about neighborhood context of our projects,” he said. The Orleans project “fits really well with the surrounding single-family neighborhoods,” Quinn said.

Architect Thad Siemasko of SV Design showed a conceptual design for 14 units arranged in seven buildings, with 30 parking spaces located off a driveway that runs parallel to the road.

As a development under Chapter 40B, the project retains 25 percent of the units for low- to moderate-income homebuyers, with units expected to cost between $220,000 and $290,000. The remaining 10 units are reserved as “attainable housing” in two income tiers, for those earning around 120 percent of AMI and those earning around 150 percent of AMI. Those units would be priced at between $410,000 and $665,000. The development would include a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

Inside, the units would have an open floor plan and spacious rooms, with a pitched roof and shingle siding on the exterior to present “a Chatham vernacular,” Siemasko said. The goal is a design that helps the development “feel like it’s always been there and belongs on this particular site.” Units will be energy efficient and solar-ready, with a small common space in the center, “maybe enough space for a Wiffle ball game, maybe a gazebo,” he said.

As attainable housing, the project would not be eligible for state funding, Quinn said, but in exchange, the town will have greater control over the breakdown and requirements of the attainable housing units. The project is expected to cost around $8.9 million, depending on various factors, including whether the buildings are stick-built on site or modular. Much of the cost would be recovered by the sale of the homes, but voters would be asked to authorize around $2.1 million in funds already collected and reserved for attainable housing. That money would come from a 1 percent surcharge added to the town’s hotel-motel tax revenue.

Meeting back in September, the select board set a minimum of 12 units for the development, though some members sought a lower number, acknowledging concerns about density in the two other affordable housing developments now in development. Quinn said while HAC prefers the 14-unit design, it can consider a 12-unit alternative if the town prefers that.

Select board Chair Dean Nicastro said he loves the 14-unit proposal. “I think this is great. I think this fits the neighborhood,” he said. 

Metters said the evaluation committee focused on homeownership units for the land, “something we sorely need in this community.” He said HAC has been great to work with, and praised the design, though he favors 12 units instead of 14 in order to allow some of the units to be moved slightly away from the bike trail. “Overall, I think this is a really good project,” he said. Metters said he also favors the use of modular buildings assembled largely offsite. “To the neighbors, it’s going to be less intrusive,” he said.

Board member Jeffrey Dykens said he likes the layout, and prefers 14 units in order to maximize the benefit. “Yes it’s tight, but we want housing. We want attainable housing,” he said. The planned selling price for the units is still fairly expensive, he noted, “but it’s nowhere near as expensive as what’s on the market.”

“There was a lot of controversy over the other [housing] projects, so it’s nice to see something that might go through much more smoothly,” board member Stuart Smith said. He said he favors a 12-unit design to lessen the impact on the surrounding residences. “Less density is less impactful on the neighborhood, and that is a positive thing not only for this, but for our future projects,” Smith said. 

“I think it’s a nice plan,” he concluded. “I just wish it were taking place in other parts of our community.”

The select board voted unanimously to affirm the recommendation of the proposal evaluation team and to authorize the town manager to award the development rights to HAC, and to authorize her to enter into negotiations with HAC over a land disposition agreement for the property.

The project could seek funding from town meeting as early as May, with a design going before the zoning board of appeals in November. If all goes according to plan, construction could start in May of 2027, with occupancy beginning later that summer.