Aldrich back before selectmen regarding Adams Street housing project
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Paul Aldrich, a Westminster resident and a local developer, has approached the selectmen once again this week to discuss his project behind 112 Main St.

"It's the same project. I'm just touching bases with the Selectmen for the meeting we had a few months a go to see what their thoughts are," Aldrich said on Tuesday before he appeared before the board.

Aldrich has appeared twice before in regards to this project.

Aldrich approached the selectmen on June 6 to ask them if they wished to buy an approximately two-acre parcel of land in the center of town for a park.

The board expressed a low interest in buying the land during the June meeting with Aldrich, but still seemed to support the housing project. But Selectmen Nick Hay and Thomas O'Toole both wanted to walk the property before making a final decision.

"I want to give him a chance to get up to speed and have some time and get exposure to it," Aldrich said.

Hay was not on the board when Aldrich first approached the selectmen in December 2005. At that time, the Selectmen agreed to support Aldrich's plan for a 22-unit housing development off Adams Road near the intersection with Main Street.

The housing project was at the time considered to be a "friendly 40B," so at least 25 percent of the houses would fall in the state's affordable housing guidelines.

Aldrich said over the course of the last two years he has been tweaking the project, adding smaller parcels of land and becoming more familiar with the project.

Aldrich is going to have work with to selectmen to answer their questions, respond to their comments and then determine the next step in the process.

"I guess it depends on what the selectmen say," he said on Tuesday.

The selectmen held their meeting after press time.