Westport News

Affordable Housing Trust
Westport Housing Partnership Committee
June 23, 2011 Meeting
 Final Minutes                     approved July 20, 2011

 

Present:  Elizabeth Collins (EC), Brian Corey, Jr. (BC), Warren Messier (WM), Catherine Williams (CW), Elaine Ostroff (EO)
Housing Specialist Leonardi Aray (LA)
Volunteer Clerk Betty Slade (BS)
Guest David Cole (DC) (at 1:30)

 

CW, Acting Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:10.  She announced she had not contacted David Cole to tell him he was on the agenda, but he was just called and is on his way.  The first agenda item was postponed therefore.

 

Minutes of June 8, 2011.  EC moved, EO seconded and the vote to approve was unanimous.

 

Noquochoke Village Report.  No one has responded to the RFP so there is a need to regroup.  LA stated that two main problems seem to be noted by potential developers:  what to do with the open space and the issue of rental vs. ownership of the units.  EC handed out a letter written by the Westport Land Conservation Trust (WLCT ) on April 7, 2011 which spells out possible scenarios for its involvement by either passing property to the WLCT outright or transferring a conservation restriction to the WLCT or   to the town of Westport's Conservation Commission.  See Attachment 1.   It was noted there had been previous inquiries into obtaining a CR but no resolution was reached.  BC noted that the developer cannot take a tax reduction on the open space so would not be interested.  They don't want the responsibility of its stewardship either.  At that point BC noted that the Alawasakema Historical Preservation and Land Conservation Trust might be interested and should be contacted.  BC said he could not be involved in this as it would be a conflict of interest.    LA noted that there is an issue about what the boundary would be between the so-called Quinn property and the Perry property and that would have to be stipulated.  EO moved that the Housing Trust make a disposition about the area to be restricted under a conservation restriction before a revised RFP was issued.  This motion was seconded by BC and approved unanimously.

 

BC moved and WM seconded a motion that the Noquochoke subcommittee EO, EC and LA) work out details and report back to the Trust as a whole.  This passed unanimously.

 

LA presented a handout which provides a timeline for the next steps on the RFP.  See Attachment 2.

 

Some adjustments to that timeline are:
1.2  Look at issues of rental vs ownership and check also with MassHousing.  Outside support critical.
1.3  Also contact Alawasakema Land Trust about open space solutions.

 

2.1  Move proposal due date from Oct 3 to November 1.
2.2  Schedule each visit, take all questions and submit to members of the Trust.
2.3  Review of proposals will be November 3 -14.
2.4  Move final to September 22-26.
2.5  Move one month later to November 24-31.

 

3.  Add a newsletter on August 1.

 

LA prepared a handout at a previous meeting on case studies of CPA funding for infrastructure.  It describes how CPA funding is being used for infrastructure in other towns.

 

A discussion was held about the necessity and timing of  an affordable housing restriction and the use of CPA community housing funds for brownfields and other matters on the open space portion, as well as the possibility to put a conservation restriction on the Quinn property.  BS was asked to contact the Community Preservation Coalition to get answers to such questions.  BS said she would send the response from the Coalition to the members.

 

Attorney Kathleen O'Donnell memorandum re: Trust - communication with BC
BC has heard nothing from Attorney O’Donnell so discussion was postponed to the next meeting.

 

Housing Office.  EO asked about the situation of the Housing office.  There was some discussion about sharing part of the Planning Board office, but it was decided that was not practical at all.  The office will remain where it is for the time being until more information available.  EC said she would help LA fix up the office.

 

Report from David Cole (DC) with regards to School Street type projects.  DC noted that he had met with Sean Leach and BC and they were sympathetic to the initiative he had proposed in a previous meeting.  However, they were worried that use of State Revolving funds (SRF) would cause loss of control of projects and open up other activities to the state.  DC has been reassured that if everything was carefully set up in advance and part of a plan, localized units can have be part of overlay district and maintain control.  DC noted nothing is going to happen in a hurry.  One thing that is important is that the project be in a critical area as indicated by the Estuaries Report which should be out by the end of June.  The report will be sent to the DEP first, and probably available to the Estuaries Committee by the end of July.

 

DC said that the project under discussion may be a pilot project, should address local problems in the north end to enable viable septic systems locally clustered.  Both SRF and CPA funds might be utilized.  DC suggests that a plan would be to bring in an engineer and put together a project using SRF 2% loan funds.    It would be necessary to put together a finance plan and keep costs down.

 

CW asked if this had been done in other towns.  DC noted that New Silver beach in Falmouth was a close example of what could be done, but that took ten years.  BC noted that property values have risen significantly there as a result.  Discussion ensued about searching for foreclosures in the vicinity with septic issues.  DCC said there are 8 houses for sale with prices less than $250,000.  These houses could be purchased for resale with affordable housing restrictions.  DC said he will continue research.

 

The question of how to communicate with the School Street neighbors was addressed.  It was recommended that a letter be sent to the neighbors stating that the Trust is looking into septic and drainage issues and is not considering the placement of housing on the School Street plot.  No vote was taken. The June newsletter was about to be sent to both the Noquochoke neighbors and the School St neighbors; providing information and stating that there would not be any community meetings in June.

 

The next Trust meeting is Wednesday, July 20, at 1 pm. CW will ask the Town Clerk for use of the 2^nd floor room and post the meeting.

 

The next Noquochoke Subcommittee meeting is 29 June at 1:00 at Town Hall.  EO will clear use of room with the Town Clerk and post.

 

WM moved, EC seconded a motion to adjourn at 2:30 pm.  It was approved unanimously.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Betty Slade,
Volunteer Clerk

 

Attachment 1.  Letter from Land Trust

Attachment 2.  Timeline for Noquochoke Next Steps