Housing Production Plan accepted by Select Board

The Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District has proposed a number of changes to the town of Dartmouth to promote and preserve affordable housing. 

A town must have at least 10% affordable housing. Under Chapter 40B, developers who propose housing that is at least 25% affordable can bypass certain zoning laws. 

Once a town has 10% affordable housing, they attain Safe Harbor, meaning that developers cannot apply for housing projects under 40B. 

These SRPEDD plans are for towns who are nearing or past safe harbor to focus on keeping the town affordable for at least five years. 

Taylor Perez, the director of housing and research for SRPEDD, presented their Housing Production Plan to the Select Board during their Monday, July 13 meeting. 

Both the Planning Board and Select Board must accept the plans before the town can start enacting any of the changes. As of July 13, both boards have approved it. 

During the study, Perez and a number of elected Dartmouth officials surveyed Dartmouth community members on what sort of affordable housing options they would want to see. 

Of the 411 responses, a majority stated that they are in favor of small starter homes and small homes for elderly people. These were collected mostly at the Council on Aging and the Dartmouth Little League. 

They recommend that to promote affordability, Dartmouth focuses on four goals and strategies: to support infrastructure through upgrades and expansion; create new and expand programs to support production, preservation and overall housing stockability;create zoning changes to support these changes; and continue producing units to keep the town affordable.

Perez stated there are eight ways to support infrastructure in Dartmouth. 

Under zoning, she recommended changing zoning laws to allow mixed-use developments that have both business and housing and creating an inclusionary housing component for age restricted units. She recommended that the town look into 40Y, which helps towns make zoning laws for starter homes. She also recommended that the Zoning Board reform the Zone III Aquopher requirements, which are areas where ground water and surface water drain into Zone II. 

Outside of zoning, Perez recommended that the town upgrade key infrastructure, pursue funding opportunities for the Preservation Committee and housing trust resources and negotiate expiring deed restrictions into perpetuity. 

Her last recommendation was that the town collaborate with housing developers for Safe Harbor, which she stated the town is already doing well. 

Now that the plan has been approved by the necessary boards, the town will begin to consider and look into the suggestions.