Assabet Bluff Project Breaks Ground
Shovel ready! Representatives from the many
organizations who made this project possible (L to
R): Stephan Bader, Concord Housing Authority; Keith
Bergman, Concord Municipal Affordable Housing Trust;
Mary Hartman, Concord Select Board; Julie McClure,
Concord Housing Development Corp.; Charles Phillips,
Concord Housing Foundation; Liz Rust, Regional
Housing Services Office; Lee Smith, Concord Housing
Development Corp.; Sheilagh Carlisle, Executive
Director, and John Maslowski, Director of Construction,
both with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell.
On April 16, Habitat for Humanity held a ground-breaking ceremony at Assabet Bluff in West Concord where it will build and sell three new affordable homes. The land was purchased three years ago with Town and private funds in a complicated deal that also conserved several acres of open space overlooking the Assabet River. Adjacent to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, the site provides easy access by foot to West Concord.
The property includes an existing two-unit structure, which will be owned and rented by the Concord Housing Authority (CHA). Three years ago, the Concord Housing Foundation (CHF) was the first organization to commit $100,000 in funding towards the purchase of this land. Concord Housing Development Corporation (CHDC) has been managing the development, selecting Habitat of Greater Lowell as the builder and creating a condominium agreement including the three new homes and the CHA building. The access road will be named Rothermel Place, in honor of Terry Rothermel, CHF co-founder and long-time president.
Housing Articles at Town Meeting
Concord Town Meeting Photo c/o The Concord Bridge
June 2 is just around the corner! Three articles are of particular interest to housing advocates
Article 45: The CHF submitted this proposed Zoning Bylaw amendment, which would allow developers to qualify for an increased number of units if they include moderately affordable units in their projects. Previously, they needed to offer at least one low-income unit to get a density bonus. The CHF is requesting the change because the existing incentive isn’t working. Focusing on moderately affordable units rebalances the cost-benefit equation, which could motivate developers to build affordable housing without subsidies.
CHF is sponsoring this bylaw amendment to counter the loss of moderately affordable houses due to tear-downs, as we continue to push for other low-income and moderate-income housing programs. This effort also aligns with the Select Board’s goal of increasing the number of moderately affordable units in Concord.
Article 46: New England Deaconess, the non-profit that operates the Newbury Court senior living community, submitted this petition warrant article. It proposes a new Continuing Care Overlay District for a 12+ acre plot of land that they purchased near their existing facilities. The new zoning would enable them to develop approximately 190 new independent living units.
The CHF worked with NE Deaconess to add affordable-housing provisions to their zoning proposal. The final warrant article specifies that up to 10% of the units be “attainable” to residents making 70%-140% of Area Median Income. CHF continues to work with NE Deaconess to clarify qualifying asset limits and tracking of attainable units. We expect further developments in the run-up to Town Meeting.
Article 47: This year’s CPC appropriations include $740,000 for the Concord Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, and $43,500 for the Regional Housing Services Office. CHF strongly supports these expenditures.
40B Projects in the Works
Rendering of NOVO Riverside. Proposed location on Baker Ave in West Concord
Concord now has two multi-family “40B” projects in the pipeline. On April 3, the Zoning Board of Appeals issued a special permit for a 237-unit project at the site of Camp Thoreau, off Forest Ridge Road. The project will have 60 rental units affordable at 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). At the same time, the NOVO Riverside Commons project slipped off the Town’s Subsidized Housing Inventory. (SHI), which happens if a 40B project does not file a building permit within one year of receiving ZBA approval. Owner Taurus Development is still hoping to begin construction this year, but financial and economic uncertainties are delaying the 201-unit project. When the building permit is issued, the units in the project will again count on the SHI.
When the Residences at Thoreau are approved, the Town will have 1,315 units counted on the SHI; when NOVO obtains its building permit, that total will rise to 1,516 (16.1% of Concord’s total housing stock). However, only 471 of these units (6.6%) will actually be affordable at 80% AMI or less. The remainder are counted on the SHI under State law to encourage the creation of the affordable units, but will be rented at market rates.
What’s Happening with MCI Concord?
Aerial photo of the MCI -Concord Site c/o The MCI Concord Advisory Board Presentation
The State’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) continues to work with the Town of Concord and the MCI Concord Advisory Board to determine viable uses for the MCI Concord property. Separately, the Town is negotiating with the State for possible acquisition of the sewage-treatment plant at the site. In February the Advisory Board used State funds to hire Agency Landscape and Planning (agencylp.com) as a consultant. Agency Landscape will analyze the site, connect with shareholders, and, by November 2025, make recommendations for land uses.
CHF is on the list of shareholders and will, in concert with Concord’s other affordable-housing groups, advocate for the inclusion of affordable and workforce housing on the site. The State has also stressed affordable housing as a site priority. While land-use exploration is underway, Junction Village, the CHDC-owned site adjacent to MCI Concord, is paused to see what happens with the larger parcel.
Agency Landscape held Community Visioning Workshops on April 30 to solicit input on the project. On May 28, Agency Landscape will present preliminary development scenarios to the Concord community. For more information, visit the MCI Concord project’s new website: mci-concord.org