Speak Out
Ashburnham affordable housing plan defended
John MacMillian Ashburnham

As a member of the Affordable Housing Committee and the Planning Board, I would like to comment on the opinions expressed by Mr. Colin Balogh in the “Speakout” section of the Dec. 1, 2006 Community Journal.

Most importantly, one should not rely solely on news articles reporting on town government, they are not always accurate or comments are taken out of context to create a message that is not at all times factual. One should become educated and attend meetings of the various boards and committees to understand what the different issues are facing Ashburnham. That being said, Mr. Balogh is correct, Ashburnham is in need of affordable housing and the recently prepared “Affordable Housing Plan” is a tool to move Ashburnham toward meeting its goal of 10 percent of the housing stock being affordable.

The Affordable Housing Plan was prepared for the purpose of meeting the needs of Ashburnham and not a tool to block any affordable housing (40B) proposals. The town is presently in the process of permitting a 104 unit affordable housing project, of which 25-30 units will be affordable. Town government and the various boards in town are working together with the Zoning Board of Appeals and the developer to complete the permitting process. This is the Town’s first 40B proposal and the learning curve for all is enormous. Once the Affordable Housing Plan is approved by the state and, if the town meets its yearly quota of affordable housing units, it can in fact deny a 40B proposal that is not in the best interest of Ashburnham, but that is not the purpose of the plan. Now with the plan in place, the Town can better work with developers to craft housing to meet the needs of Ashburnham as recommended in the plan.

Mr. Balogh is incorrect in stating that there is no multi-family housing by right in Ashburnham, the “Open Space Residential Development” bylaw allows for two units per lot which basically doubles the density of the development. The Town Planner and the Planning Board are currently revisiting the Open Space Residential bylaw to propose additional density. The town is also working with the Smart Growth Alliance Group (http://www.ma-smartgrowth.org/) in the redevelopment of the “Town Barn area” in to a mixed-use development with commercial and rental units. In order to meet certain standards, the densities would be increased. A local developer has approached the town with another mixed-use local initiative project that could bring additional commercial and rental units, along with multifamily units. In fact, a quick search of the Affordable Housing Plan brings up 101 instances of the word “rental” in the document. The document clearly indicates that there is a need to increase the supply of affordable rental units in Ashburnham, a fact disputed by Mr. Balogh.

There has never been any discussion with members of either the Affordable Housing Committee or the Planning Board about creating no growth factors and I have personally stated many times, that we need to create higher density zoning in Ashburnham. Zoning is always a sensitive subject no matter where you live. Affordable housing and zoning changes are an important process that the town needs to work through. One of the responsibilities of the Affordable Housing Committee is to educate the public on what affordable housing is and why we need it in Ashburnham. The Massachusetts Housing Partnership (http:// www.mhp.net/) contains a wealth of information on housing densities and affordable housing.

While there is a definite need for affordable housing and with it a higher housing density in Ashburnham, we need to also understand that the infrastructure of sewer and water is an important factor in increasing densities. Without sewer and water, densities are restricted due to the constraints of septic and well regulations. Education of developers, town leaders and residents is a key factor in helping to create affordable housing and higher densities.

The state of Massachusetts is spearheading smart growth alliances and affordable housing projects throughout the commonwealth with the adoption of the “Smart Growth Zoning and Housing Production Act (40R)”, so I am confused as to why they would be considered the no-growth advocates, as stated in Mr. Balogh’s article. 40R is new to many communities, but it may be a method

to increase densities and thus create affordable housing in Ashburnham. Information on 40R may be obtained at the Department of Housing and Community Development Web site (http://www. mass.gov/dhcd/40R/default.htm).

While everyone has a right to express their opinion, Mr. Balogh appears to be an armchair critic of the Affordable Housing Plan and clearly does not understand the community. There are many steps that we need to take in making a change toward higher densities and the final decision is ultimately up to the voters of Ashburnham. We need to educate everyone, collaborate with developers and others and propose new ways to create less expensive housing. We are not alone in this endeavor, as we have many tools available to accomplish the goals and still maintain the character of Ashburnham. If we all work together we can achieve a change to more affordable housing. A copy of the affordable housing plan is available on the town’s Web site (http://www.ashburnham-ma.gov).