Peterborough sets apart proposal to market land for economical-housing task | Nearby Information

PETERBOROUGH — The selectboard has shelved a proposal to market component of a city-owned residence for growth as affordable housing until eventually it can assess choice uses for the web-site.

At the board’s assembly Tuesday night time, members agreed they are not prepared to offer the internet site at Evans Flats — a partly vacant parcel in the vicinity of the intersection of Elm Street and Evans Street — while a town assessment of the spot is ongoing and in advance of thinking about other solutions for the land.

The proposed housing challenge would build 16 units and was to begin with presented to the selectboard on Aug. 4 by Hope Taylor, a member of the Peterborough Economic Development Authority’s subcommittee on economical housing.

Taylor claimed the progress would incorporate 4 structures, every with four equivalent two-bedroom units. She introduced 3 construction options — all of which would call for providing the land to personal builders — that she said could create a per-unit price of as little as $51,000 or as substantially as $110,000, in accordance to minutes from the Aug. 4 meeting.

At the time, two investors experienced expressed desire in the Evans Flats growth, which Taylor informed the board could be developed by means of a combination of sweat fairness and trader resources.

The selectboard mentioned the proposal once again at its Sept. 2 conference but delayed further more motion right up until following it attended to other business, which include preparations for the Nov. 3 normal election, Deputy Town Administrator Nicole MacStay stated Sept. 30. She included that town team also desired to “give the [project] its entire consideration” at a afterwards day.

At the board’s Oct. 20 conference, City Administrator Rodney Bartlett claimed workers would review the Evans Flats home for any deed limits and detect alternate sites to dump snow, which the city does on the proposed housing web site when its primary area is total, in accordance to minutes from the assembly.

MacStay advised the board Tuesday that Peterborough has whole regulate of Evans Flats, which she claimed contains wetlands and virtually 15 acres of viable land. The Peterborough Community Middle is located on the southeast corner of the house, in the previous Armory setting up, and a General public Operates Division garage is near its southern boundary.

The housing growth would be created on 3.3 acres together the northern edge of the property, adjacent to Evans Highway, and would mostly slide in just Peterborough’s relatives zoning district, MacStay explained.

That district makes it possible for for workforce housing, which the city defines as models considered economical for a loved ones of 4 creating no extra than $89,700 to purchase, or for a relatives of 3 building up to $48,440 to rent, dependent on 2019 estimates by the unbiased condition agency N.H. Housing.

Bartlett inspired board customers to determine no matter whether they are fascinated in marketing the assets and then think about a number of choices for its use, alternatively than right away committing to the Economic Development Authority’s proposal.

“The presentation on the workforce housing is clearly a single chance,” he stated. “There may be other alternatives out there that we are not aware of.”

Selectboard Chairman Tyler Ward and member Monthly bill Taylor expressed interest in checking out techniques the city can use the web site to grow its renewable power capabilities, including the attainable installation of a solar array. And board member Ed Juengst said he would be unpleasant offering the land when Peterborough is currently reviewing the nearby DPW garage site for a new hearth station.

“Something else could appear up where we will need municipal land in that location,” he claimed.

Bill Taylor and Juengst agreed with Ward’s statement that “there are far too several variables” to look at advertising the Evans Flats web page at the minute.

Ward expressed guidance for generating affordable housing in city, nevertheless, and stated the board will proceed evaluating the Financial Improvement Authority’s proposal.

Less than a person in 4 two-bedroom models in New Hampshire are deemed reasonably priced by N.H. Housing, per its 2020 Residential Rental Cost Survey Report. In Cheshire and Hillsborough counties, the prices are 49 % and 24 p.c, respectively.

Evans Flats was also the proposed location for a prior workforce-housing proposal. A 10-acre part of the assets was reviewed in 2006 for the doable progress, but the program was scuttled by opposition from Evans Road inhabitants, according to reporting by the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript. Voters in 2004 also defeated a strategy to promote section of the assets for a Halt & Shop.