Eleven Dwelling Units Proposed For 1.4 Acres In Traditional Village District

UPDATE: The applicant asked to have this presentation postponed until October 22

When: Wednesday, August 27 at 7 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: Pre-Application Conference for proposal to construct 9 new buildings that will hold 11 residential units on 1.397 acres in the Traditional Village District

The owner of two lots on the south side of Rt. 1A at its intersection with Ridgewood Road (Plat 13, Lots 31 & 32, 3740 Old Post Road) proposes to combine the two lots to create a 1.397-acre lot and to construct 9 new buildings on the combined lot. The 9 new structures would house 11 residential units, 6 of which would be deed-restricted low- and moderate-income housing (LMIH) and 5 of which would be market-rate units. A small commercial building on one of the lots (Lot 31) is proposed to become a shared recreation and storage space for the occupants of the 11 units.

This development is proposed as a Comprehensive Permit under the state’s Low and Moderate Income Housing Act. Under the state law, for an application that provides a certain amount of LMIH, Charlestown must make available subsidies, including adjustments and zoning incentives.

As proposed, the project would provide approximately 54% LMIH. Because the properties are not connected to public water or sewer, state law mandates that the density bonus for a project that provides at least 50% LMIH is 5 units per acre—fewer than the density proposed.

In fact, there is no state-mandated density bonus for a project providing LMIH that is greater than 8 units per acre. For example, the density bonus for a project that provides 100% LMIH is 8 units per acre.

It is worth noting that the TVD zone has, for years, actually required that 59% (rounded down) of any housing built in conjunction with a commercial use be affordable units. It appears that the proposed development could meet the LMIH requirement for affordable housing in the TVD, but there are other TVD requirements that the proposal does not meet and would require relief from if it were to go forward.

The proposed use is subject to, in addition to Planning Commission approval, required federal, state, or local approvals. For example, approvals from the RI Department of Environmental Management for the onsite wastewater treatment systems and stormwater design, the RI Department of Health for the wells, the RI Department of Transportation for any changes to access onto the parcel, and the State Fire Marshall.

In advance of a pre-application conference, the applicant is required to submit only a short description of the project in writing, including the number of units, type of housing, density analysis, preliminary list of adjustments needed, as well as a location map, and conceptual site plan. The purpose of the pre-application conference is to review the concept plan and to elicit feedback from the reviewing board and members of the public who attend the meeting.

Below are some highlights of the new proposed 9-building, 11-unit development:

• The two lots are described as Plat 13, Lot 31 and 32; Lot 32 fronts along Old Post Road and Ridgewood Road; Lot 31 fronts along Old Post Road.
• Proposed are 9 new buildings that would house 11 units, 6 of which would be deed-restricted LMIH and 5 would be market-rate housing.
• The lots are located in the Traditional Village District (TVD) and within the Historic Village District (HVD) overlay, the Groundwater Protection (GWP) overlay, and the RIDEM Critical Resource Area; neither is located within a FEMA flood zone, nor are there any coastal or freshwater wetlands within 200 feet.
• Lot 32 is vacant and Lot 31 is developed with commercial use that has been abandoned.
• The proposal is to combine the two lots, bringing the total combined lot size to 1.397 acres, or 60,871 square feet.
• Access to the development would utilize existing curb cuts and traffic would enter from Old Post Road and exit at Ridgewood Road.
• The units would be serviced by individual onsite wastewater treatments systems utilizing denitrification technology and individual wells.
• The units would be a mixture of one and two bedrooms, and a total bedroom count of 17 is proposed to accommodate setbacks required for the onsite wastewater treatment systems.
• The footprint of each of the 9 buildings would be about 800 square feet, and there would be a mixture of single-story and two-story buildings.
• The lots are relatively flat with a west to east gradient of approximately 6 feet and an average slope of 4%.
• Utilities would be underground, and lighting for the project is proposed to be minimal and dark sky compliant.

Included in the submission is a preliminary list of relief that would be requested:

• Relief from provisions in the TVD zone regarding residential/commercial uses.
• Side and front setback relief.
• Relief from the required 20% undisturbed open space.
• Relief from the parking requirements.

If the developer were to decide to go forward with a formal application, the first stage of review would be Preliminary Plan review because state law does not require a Master Plan stage.

What qualifies as an affordable home under the state law? To qualify, the housing must be deed restricted for a minimum of 30 years up to 99 years, during which time it can only be sold to a buyer who meets the income requirements of the RI Housing Authority. The housing also must be built with a government subsidy.

What effect the proposal could have on issues such as groundwater or traffic has not been determined.