Select Board reflects on ZBA public hearing for affordable housing at 10-60 Main Street
By Theresa Knapp
At their meeting on Jan. 15, the Ashland Select Board discussed the recent Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing related to “The Sanctuary at Ashland Mills,” a five-story, 250-unit affordable housing project proposed for 10-160 Main Street.
John F. Trefethen, Chair of the ZBA, attended the Select Board meeting and explained the “multi-month process.”
“We’ve got a process set up, we’re doing one area of expertise at a time, traffic will be at our next meeting the second week of February. After that, we have Water & Sewer at some point, we have our civil engineer peer review coming up. There may be conversation issues and what the developer is requesting waivers of. So, we’re at the beginning of what will be a multi-month process at the least.”
Select Board member Claudia Bennett expressed concerns about the traffic impact on the site, at the nearby intersection, and also on Pleasant Street. She asked if there is anything the town can do to mitigate the impact.
Trefethen could not speak specifically about this project but did say, in general, “Ultimately, the ZBA can make a decision – we can deny the project outright legally, whether that would be upheld or not is a totally different issue on appeal. We can allow the project but place conditions on the project. So, there are things that can be done within our somewhat limited powers on this.”
He added, “One thing we’ve always been told by Counsel is…that the agency that oversees this, the housing agency, is designed to encourage the building of housing in Massachusetts and that’s what they’re in line to do so that, when they’re considering an appeal, if there’s an appeal say by a developer, or even if there’s an appeal by the town, their mindset is to support housing.”
Select Board Chair Yolanda Greaves responded, “Understood.”
Trefethen encouraged residents with questions and comments about the project at 10-60 Main Street, to send them to Town Planner Peter Matchak at [email protected].
Documents related to the project, including traffic studies, can be found at https://www.ashlandmass.com/1166/The-Sanctuary-at-Ashland-Mills---10-60-M.