In Plymouth, a 40b project, the Kanso/Avalon development, approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals on the 11th. The project consists of 300 rental units located at Colony Place. Chapter 40B allows developers to bypass local zoning regulations in order to build affordable housing developments. This, in cases where a town has less than 10% of its housing stock that’s considered affordable. And such is the case in Plymouth. But, it could be said that this is a friendly 40B with benefits to the town.
WATD’s Bobbi Clark has more….
Director of Planning and Development, Lee Hartmann:
“The project has three elements that are fundamentally different than what can be under local zoning: one is that it has a five story building. Typically, we only allow 35 foot high buildings, three stories. It’s in an industrial area, commercial area. So zoning in our town does not allow for those residential uses in a commercial zone. So what they’re looking for is the height of the building, allowing residential in a commercial built district. And, also allowing density far greater than what we would allow for any other multi-family under local zoning.”
Approval of the project puts in place one of the benefits to the town:
“Now that this project has been approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals, we now have filed, and will receive, a two year Safe Harbor which allows us, if we choose, to say no to future 40b’s that come in. The requirement though is that a building permit must be prepared within one year.”
The Safe Harbor designation in relation to Chapter 40B, refers to specific conditions a town can meet that allow its local ZBA to deny a 40B permit application.
Another benefit to the town, Hartmann says, is that as part of this project…
“…they’ve agreed to construct a booster pump station that will connect the North Plymouth water supply system to the West Plymouth supply system, so in addition to the Safe Harbor we also have this provision that will save the town millions of dollars.”
In Plymouth, Bobbi Clark, WATD News.
Visit the Plymouth Master Plan website to learn more.
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