Regional group will help town in affordable housing quest
By PATRICK L. SULLIVAN
November, 27, 2008
SALISBURY — Towns in the Northwest Corner continue to struggle with the challenges of creating new affordable housing while also respecting the desire of Corner residents to protect open space — and their own property values.
Salisbury has taken steps to address the problem by creating a new affordable housing committee, which had its first meeting earlier this month.
The Board of Selectmen announced this week that the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee will work with the Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative’s Jocelyn Ayer and Chris Wood.
The collaborative advises the towns of Falls Village, Cornwall, Goshen, North Canaan, Norfolk, Kent, Salisbury and Sharon on long-range planning issues. The organization, funded in part by a grant from the state, was created in recognition of the fact that many planning questions move beyond town and state boundaries.
Ayer said her initial task is to assist with writing proposals for state grants to identify likely properties where affordable housing can be built. The Board of Selectmen and the Planning and Zoning Commission have passed resolutions recently authorizing the grant writing.
“These are things that the Northwest Connecticut Council of Governments used to do,” said First Selectman Curtis Rand in introducing Ayer to the new committee last week. The council is made up of first selectmen from nine Litchfield County towns. “We’re very glad to have the collaborative on board.”
Ayer, who has worked on affordable housing in the Massachusetts towns of East Hampton, Westfield and Holyoke, spoke in general terms about some of the strategies available for Salisbury.
“I think we’ll look first at areas served by the town water and sewer systems,” she explained. “Expansion is relatively easy” (compared to building in outlying areas and dealing with individual septic systems).
Ayer has experience in creating “overlay districts,” which leave existing zoning intact — and sidestep the need for a massive rewrite of regulations — but create target areas where smaller lots could be used.
Salisbury’s grant request for the study — which, if approved, goes directly to the town, not to the collaborative — is for $40,000.
At the inaugural meeting of the advisory committee last week, selectman and ex officio committee member Jim Dresser observed that the work of the collaborative comes at an opportune time.
“I hope it will dovetail with the work of this committee,” he said.
The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee held its second meeting on Monday evening, Nov. 24, after this edition went to press.
© Copyright 2008 by TCExtra.com
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