‘*Just last year, thanks to the town meeting process, Winchester was able to negotiate much more affordable housing (67%!), climate protection concessions and a payment to the town.’*
Checks notes….after 10 plus years of inaction/stalling/debate, etc. Actually, some articles quote 20 or so years since the property could have been potentially been redeveloped. I will take a minimum 10% now versus a hypothetical 15-20% in the future. Reminder that Lincoln Woods remains affordable through at least 2045. Just one person’s opinion. On Thursday, November 16, 2023, Karla Gravis <karlagra...@gmail.com> wrote: > I wholeheartedly share the goal of increasing affordable housing. However, > I think the HCA as designed actually constrains our ability to do so. I > am not suggesting we don’t comply, but it’s misguided to think that the HCA > will actually help towards the goal of increasing affordability. > > > Currently, the town retains leverage with developers because projects > require town meeting approval. HCA changes to “by right” zoning and we > cannot ask for more than 10% affordability. Just last year, thanks to the > town meeting process, Winchester was able to negotiate much more affordable > housing (67%!), climate protection concessions and a payment to the town. > The town of Winchester was able to get that because the vote failed at the > first town meeting and the developer (Civico) had to make concessions to > get the project passed. > > > Once we rezone an area as part of our HCA district, the town meeting > process is gone and our only recourse is to pay developers to “make them > whole”. > > > For Oriole Landing, because we already required 15%, the hurdle to get to > 25% affordability was lower than it would be under HCA. Back then, we gave > them a $1M payment for 6 units. Adjusted for inflation (the Greater Boston > CPI index is up 20% since then), the cost per apartment today would be > $200,000. > > > If we consider the Mall, which will be zoned for 100 apartments, > increasing affordability from 10% to 25% would cost us $3M if we need to > make the developer whole. The Affordable Housing Trust doesn’t have that > kind of resources. > > > It’s naive to think that once we rezone and the developers can build by > right, that we will have any leverage to increase affordable housing. > > > > > > >>>> On Thu, Nov 16, 2023 at 19:42 Kristen Ferris <ferris.kris...@gmail.com> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I wanted to add my voice to the housing discussion that has been going >>>>> on here over the past few weeks. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Affordable housing is a priority that's been close to my heart since >>>>> moving to Lincoln, and especially as I raise my kids here. I want my kids >>>>> to grow up in a place where they have access to many different points of >>>>> view, backgrounds, life experiences, and identities. I want them to live >>>>> in >>>>> spaces where they practice empathy and understanding across different >>>>> perspectives daily, and work to deconstruct their privilege and build a >>>>> more just community. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Unfortunately housing policy in our country and in our town has >>>>> historically been a barrier to this – it’s worked to enshrine privilege >>>>> and >>>>> exacerbate inequality. We’ve chosen to maintain the segregation by race >>>>> and >>>>> wealth created by redlining and other explicitly racist policies through >>>>> exclusionary zoning. I believe that creating denser and more affordable >>>>> housing in Lincoln is our most critical tool to begin to right these >>>>> historical wrongs, and create the kind of town that I want my children to >>>>> grow up in. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Committing to the rezoning that the HCA requires is an important >>>>> start. But, zoning does not equal housing. As I review the proposals on >>>>> the >>>>> table at town meeting in a few weeks to create more housing density in >>>>> areas of Lincoln, my most critical criteria will be this: will developers >>>>> come and actually build the housing that each proposal allows? The HCAWG >>>>> has worked hard to develop proposals in the spirit of a yes to this >>>>> question -- and I believe the only clear "yes" is Lincoln Station. >>>>> Rezoning >>>>> proposals that do not include Lincoln Station are far less likely to >>>>> actually result in more housing. As such, in my view, these options don't >>>>> align with a vote in favor of affordable housing. And as has been noted in >>>>> previous discussions, although only 10% of new development is required to >>>>> be affordable, as a town with so many voices in favor of affordable >>>>> housing, we can choose to subsidize a higher percentage as we've done with >>>>> Oriole Landing. But first the additional housing needs to be built -- and >>>>> it likely won't be outside of Lincoln Station. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> I ask too that you consider this criteria as you weigh the options on >>>>> the table. Many towns will try to do as little as possible as they comply >>>>> with the HCA. They will define minimum viable units, they will tuck >>>>> housing >>>>> into areas that they know will never be developed. I don't think this is >>>>> who we are as a town. I hope that we choose instead to use the opportunity >>>>> the HCA gives us to not just comply with zoning but to create housing and >>>>> moreover to create affordable housing, and in doing so, continue to share >>>>> and build our town with an even broader and more diverse community. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Kristen Ferris >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>>> >>>> -- >>>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>>>> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >>>>> Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mai >>>>> lman/private/lincoln/. >>>>> Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mai >>>>> lman/listinfo/lincoln. >>>>> >>>>>
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