Chapter 40B / Affordable Housing Projects / Country Club Estates
On February 24, 2020, Delphic Associates, on behalf of R & J, LLC, applied for a comprehensive permit from the Halifax Zoning Board of Appeals for a "Chapter 40B" development called Country Club Estates.
Country Club Estates
The proposed project would include 30 units in a series of duplexes and quadraplexes (a total of 10 buildings) with 8 of the units being designated as "affordable". The proposed development will be located south of Route 106/Plymouth Street and east of Country Club Drive.
Other permits such as wetlands (Conservation Commission) and septic (Board of Health) may be necessary.
The initial public hearing was to be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at 7pm in the Selectmen's Meeting Room, Halifax Town Hall, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA (hearing notice)
Because of the COVID pandemic, the Zoning Board of Appeals has been postponing the start of this hearing from month to month until it can hold an in-person meeting in a venue that will allow for the number of people interested in this project to attend this meeting. Because the State is likely to require that Chapter 40B hearings be held within a certain time frame, even if they have to be held virtually, the Zoning Board of Appeals agreed that the hearing on this project would begin on Wednesday, November 18 at 7:00pm via Zoom.
Recording of the first session of the hearing - November 18, 2020
Recording of the second session of the hearing - December 16, 2020 (meeting was held, but the hearing was simply continued)
Recording of the third session of the hearing - January 13, 2021
The fourth session will be held on February 24, 2021 at 7pm via Zoom.
At the request of the application, the hearing has been continued to Wednesday, November 17 at 7pm. Information about whether the meeting will be held via Zoom will be posted here at a later date.
November 17 meeting information
At the applicant's request, it is expected that the Zoning Board of Appeals will continue, without further discussion about the application, the hearing on January 12, 2022.
Chapter 40B
Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 40B states that if less than 10% of a community's housing stock is considered to be "affordable" (that is not only being rented or sold at a certain price but that the sale or rental of these units shall be to households with incomes under a certain amount), a development can be proposed that by-passes the community's zoning by-laws. To be eligible, the developer must guarantee that at least 20% of the units to be rented or sold will be for households with certain incomes.
The Massachusetts Housing Partnership has published a Chapter 40B Handbook for Zoning Boards of Appeal.
The documents related to the project can be found below.
Country Club Estates Documents
- Opening Letter
- Local Housing Partnership
- Fees for Comprehensive Permit
- Application Checklist
- Town Checks
- Comprehensive Permit Application
- Department of Housing and Community Development Notice
- Site Eligibility Approval
- Halifax Deed
- Abutters List #1
- Abutters List #2
- Narrative
- Affordable Distribution Plan
- Drainage Easement Plan
Peer Review Documents
- General Peer Review (from Amory Engineers on behalf of the Town)
- Traffic Peer Review (from Gillon Associates on behalf of the Town)
Silva Engineering (additional documents since original submission on behalf of the applicant)
- Drainage Report - January 16, 2020
- Comment Response - July 22, 2020 (in response to General Peer Review (see above)
- Revised Site Plans - July 22, 2020
- Revised Site Plan (one page) - February 24, 2021
- Letter to Zoning Board of Appeals - February 24, 2021
Other Documents
- Plan of Land - Map 63, Lots 6 and 30 - February 6, 2013
- Plan of Land - Map 63, Lots 6 and 30 - April 26, 2017
- O'Reilly's Auto Parts Drainage - October 1, 2018
- Drainage Easement, Map 63, Lot 31 - December 31, 2018
- Comments from Board of Health - June 18, 2020
- O'Reilly's Site Plan - November 13, 2020
- Comments from Fire Department - November 18, 2020
- Comments from Board of Health - December 15, 2020
- Revised Site Layout - December 18, 2020
- Board of Health Comments - January 5, 2021
- Amory Engineers Review - January 5, 2021
- Green International Affiliates - Response to Traffic Peer Review - January 11, 2021
- Gillon Associates - Traffic Study Peer Review Memo - January 13, 2021
- Hancock Associates - Zoning Board of Appeals Advisor - Status Update - January 13, 2021
Additional documents concerning wetlands
- Conservation Commission - Minutes - October 25, 2005
- Conservation Commission - Minutes - Noveber 8, 2005
- Conservation Commission - Minutes - December 13, 2005
- Conservation Commission - Minutes - January 24, 2006
- Conservation Commission - Minutes - May 23, 2006
- Conservation Commission - Minutes - November 13, 2018
- 314 Plymouth Street - RDA Material - 2005 - Part 1
- 314 Plymouth Street - RDA Material - 2005 - Part 2
- 314 Plymouth Street - ANRAD Material - 2006 - Part 1
- 314 Plymouth Street - ANRAD Material - 2006 - Part 2
- 314 Plymouth Street - Extension of ORAD - November 28, 2018
- 316 Plymouth Street - ANRAD Material - Part 1
- 316 Plymouth Street - ANRAD Material - Part 2