HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-08-08 Board of Selectmen Executive Session Minutes - Board of Selectmen Meeting
Executive Session
August 8, 1995
The Executive Session was convened at 8:00 p.m. in the Selectmen's Meeting Room, 16 Lowell
Street, Reading, MA. Present were Chairman Sally Hoyt, Secretary Camille Anthony, Selectman
George Hines, Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Counsel Theodore Cohen, and Brad
Latham, Drew Ley and Drew Dolben from Bear Hill Realty Trust.
Cohen reviewed the situation with the Housing Authority. It was noted that we were going to try
to have the Housing Authority present this evening, but they were not available. Cohen noted
that when the project was proposed to be a 160 units, there was an agreement with the Reading
Housing Authority on 1 and 2 bedroom units and the 2 bedroom units were going to be 2
bathroom units. When the project was modified to a 132 unit project, the developer proposed to
provide nine 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom "terrace units". The Housing Authority didn't want all of the
terrace units to be Housing Authority units because they felt that this would create a stigma.
They requested a mix of 4 or 5 townhouse units and the remaining units to be terrace units. The
townhouse units are designed as 2 bedroom i bath units. This came to light at the Housing
Authority's May 5 meeting. They expressed an issue with the one bath. Last evening Drew
Dolben told the Housing Authority that they couldn't add an additional bath to the townhouse
units, but offered to add a half bath. The Housing Authority said that this was not acceptable and
then indicated that they would take the townhouse units as proposed, but reduce the price$9,000.
The impact of this proposed change on the project would be a cost of$150,000 to $170,000 to
the developer.
Cohen talked with Greco of the Housing Authority and Greco agrees with Cohen's interpretation
of the events of the Housing Authority meeting. Greco indicated that it was never clear to the
Housing Authority that the townhouse units would not have two baths.
Of the two bedroom townhouse units, there are 20 - nine of which are proposed to be the
affordable housing units. There are also 20 "C" townhouse units that would be one and one half
baths. There are 12 "G" terrace units that would be 2 bedroom and 2 bath, and there are 20
"flats" that would be 2 bedroom and 2 bath. There are 6 "H" units which would be 3 bedroom
and 2 bath units. Dolben pointed out that the amenities, fixtures and finishes are exactly the same
for the affordable housing units as for the market rate units. He also pointed out that half of the 3
bedroom units would be affordable, and the 9 "A" units of 20 units would be affordable. There is
no set discount for market rate for the affordable housing units. The pricing for the affordable
housing units is driven strictly from maximum income levels that are permitted.
There were three members of the Housing Authority Board at the meeting last evening -
Reverend Sweet, Don Allen and Arthur Reynolds. There were also three Housing Partnership
members present-Kelley, Coote and Barnes.
Board of Selectmen Meeting, Executive Session- August 8, 1995 -page 2.
The Board of Selectmen directed to establish a meeting on the 15th at 7:30 p.m. in Executive
Session with the Housing Authority and with representatives of Bear Hill Realty Trust to try to
iron out all of these issues.
On motion by Anthony seconded by Hines the Board voted to adjourn at 8:40 p.m: On a roll call
vote, all three members voted in the affirmative and the motion was carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Secretary