Permit Granted For Pennrose Affordable Housing Project In Harwich

 HARWICH – The appeals board has approved the comprehensive permit for the Pennrose LLC/Affordable Housing Trust 60-unit development on the former Marceline property at 456 Queen Anne Rd.

In a three-and-a-half-hour session on June 25, the board, Town Counsel Amy Kwesell and Pennrose representatives put the finishing touches on the project conditions, and the board voted unanimously to approve the 40B comprehensive permit. The project includes 60 units of affordable housing in 14 buildings on the 5.4 acres leased to Pennrose for 99 years by the town’s affordable housing trust.

The project will consist of 42 residential rental units for households at or below 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), with approximately 10 of the units restricted to extremely low income households at or below 30 percent of AMI. Nine of the units will be for households at or below 80 percent of AMI and nine for households at or below 100 percent of AMI. There will be 36 one-bedroom units, 18 two-bedroom units and six three-bedroom units.

The permit allows an additional 20 parking spaces on trust property adjacent to the development site.

 The appeals board conducted several hearings since receiving the permit application last December. A lot of discussion from residents centered on traffic congestion at the intersection of Route 124 (Pleasant Lake Avenue) and Queen Anne Road, and traffic buildup along Queen Anne Road leading into the intersection. 

Pennrose will provide up to $5,000 for short-term safety enhancements at the intersection of Queen Anne Road and Pleasant Lake Avenue and an additional $5,000 for the design and construction of improvement strategies at the intersection. The developer will also petition the town to work on improvements in the area of the intersection. Traffic signal timing changes are also recommended.

Appeals Board Chair Brian Sullivan said Town Administrator Jay McGrail has met with Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials about the use of Bassett’s Lane, a road that only exists on plans adjacent to the development site that extends to Route124, as a second egress from the development to relieve traffic pressure on Queen Anne Road.

 “[MassDOT] didn’t say no,” Sullivan said, adding the town walked away from the meeting with the impression that an egress from Bassett’s Lane was possible. There were curb cut length issues that needed to be worked out, he said, adding that the town was retaining traffic consultants VHB, Inc. to determine whether the town owns the paper road and look at curb-cut length issues.

During Thursday’s hearing issues were raised about phosphorus from the development and the potential impact on Hinckley’s Pond. Scott Norum, a pond area resident, said he has seen the water quality of Hinckleys and Seymour ponds declining, noting a cyanobacteria bloom in Hinckleys Pond last December.

Hinkleys Pond was treated with alum treatment to bind phosphorus in 2019, he said, adding that the benefits only lasted a few years. He said a Canadian company has created a biofilter designed to remove phosphorus from septic systems and he encouraged Pennrose to look into the use of the biofilter as part of its alternative septic system design.

Kwesell said the groundwater flow at the 456 Queen Anne Rd. site is southwest away from the ponds. 

The board’s conditions include a local preference provision based on state guidelines in the initial access to the rental units. 

Appeals board member Kenneth Dickson had issues with two of the conditions relating to perpetuity. One condition requires that at least 25 percent, or 15, of the affordable units remain permanently affordable units to households with income not more than 80 percent of AMI. Under additional restrictions the other units would remain affordable for 50 years but not in perpetuity.

 “I want to reiterate my opposition to this. I’m not in opposition to this development in any way, shape or form,” Dickson said. “I believe I represent the community of Harwich and I believe Harwich is looking for permanent affordable housing. This does not represent that, and I’m disappointed. I’m going to support the project, but I am not going to vote in favor of these two motions.” The conditions were approved on a 4-1 vote.

Before the final vote on the permit, appeals board member John August said there needs to be more public communication and involvement in 40B comprehensive permit projects. He cited the several additional acres the affordable housing trust has adjacent to the development. The affordable housing trust is scheduling a session in July during which the use of the additional land remaining on the former Marceline property will be discussed.