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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On the evening of Thursday, January 12, the Zoning Board of Appeals met to discuss the construction of a property located at 21, 25 and 29 Hospital Road. This housing complex is particularly important, since it incorporates a number of affordable housing units, which contributes to Medfield’s compliance with 40B, a state statute enabling local Zoning Boards to to approve affordable housing developments under flexible rules if at least 20 to 25 percent of the units have long-term affordability restrictions.
This particular meeting offered information to the community not only about the specifics surrounding this development, but also issues surrounding parking, snow removal, safety in regards to roads, as well as water. Handed out at the meeting was an application outlining the details of the development. “This application is for a Comprehensive Permit to allow construction of a development to be called ‘Country Estates of Medfield’ that will consist of 49 non-age-restricted condominium units comprised of 1-, 2-, and 3-unit building with driveways, roadways, and associated infrastructure,” it read. “The Applicant is proposing that twenty-five (25%) percent of thirteen units will be identified as affordable units and will blend with the proposed market rate homes and will be evenly distributed throughout the development.”
This is a change from the previous meeting, which proposed a development of 48 units, only 12 of which were affordable. By upping this, Medfield is able to meet the 40B requirement of 25 percent of housing being affordable.
Many of the concerns community members raised were in regards to parking. However, these were assuaged when the plans for each unit to have a three or four car garage were laid out. In addition, the plans for landscaping were discussed, in which the intention to use all indigenous plants was put forth. The engineers involved with the project had spoken to the Medfield Fire Department, who ran a program determining the safety of the streets and the department’s ability to respond to a fire. These tests came out extremely positive, reassuring many of the community members in attendance.
While the details of this development are not set in stone, progress towards its fruition is being made every day.
