Plymouth Nears 10% Affordable Housing Goal, Gaining Control Over Future Development
Town's affordable housing inventory reaches 9.26%, approaching threshold that would allow rejection of unwanted 40B projects
PLYMOUTH - March 18 - Plymouth is on the verge of reaching its 10% affordable housing goal, a milestone that would give the town greater control over future development projects, according to information presented at the Select Board meeting.
Lee Hartmann, Director of Planning and Development, reports that Plymouth's affordable housing inventory now stands at 9.26%, a significant increase from previous estimates.
"Right now what we have, and just today our numbers got updated by the state," Hartmann told the board. "We've been working for about six months to get a bunch of the ones that everybody's been talking about to have them put on."
The state currently recognizes 1,578 affordable units in Plymouth, representing about 6% of the town's housing stock. An additional 277 units are expected to be added to the list soon, bringing the total to 1,855 units or 7.22%.
Several major developments in the pipeline will push Plymouth closer to the 10% threshold, including the Claremont property (300 units), Cordage Park (300+ units), and 38 units from the 150-unit Pulte development.
"When we look at all those that are on the books, that will get us to 2,378," Hartmann explained. "No guarantee all that gets built, but again, what we feel reasonably comfortable is out there, and that will bring us to 9.26%."
Town Manager Derek Brindisi clarified that the percentage increase is partly due to a correction in how the town calculates its affordable housing inventory. Previously, officials were using approximately 28,000 as the total number of housing units in Plymouth.
"What we found out last week is that, again, talking to the department that calculates affordable housing percentages, they have stated to us that the actual denominator is 25,000 units," Brindisi said.
The 3,000-unit difference represents seasonal homes that are not counted in the year-round housing stock used for affordable housing calculations.
Select Board member John Mahoney praised the discovery, attributing it to the work of Kristin Ford, a part-time employee supporting the Community Preservation Committee.
"To me, it is embarrassing and euphoric all at the same time," Mahoney said. "So it's good that all of a sudden we've leapt from being in the 4% range into the 7%, 8%, and potentially a little bit of almost 9.5% range."
Reaching the 10% threshold would give Plymouth significant leverage in controlling future development. Hartmann explained that once the town hits that mark, it gains the ability to reject 40B developments, which currently can override local zoning regulations.
"It gives us the ability to say no to 40B," Hartmann said. "So it doesn't mean that 40Bs are automatically denied, but if a 40B comes to the community and the community chooses to say this is not something we'd like to see in this town, it gives us the ability as a community to say no and that's it."
Currently, if Plymouth rejects a 40B development, "clearly 90% of those decisions are overturned at the state level in favor of a developer," according to Hartmann.
The town can apply for "safe harbor" status once it approves projects that would push its affordable housing inventory above 8%. This would provide temporary protection from unwanted 40B developments.
"Let's say the Claremont property. Claremont property comes in, and the day after it gets approved by the zoning board, we can apply for a two-year safe harbor," Hartmann explained.
The 10% threshold would remain in effect until the 2030 census results are released in 2031, at which point Plymouth would need to meet a new target based on updated housing counts.
Brindisi announced that the town will soon publish a complete list of affordable housing units on its website to improve transparency and ensure accurate tracking.
"We know there's a lot of eyes on Town Hall," Brindisi said. "And so we know that if we have it posted on the website, somebody would bring to our attention that a 10-unit project on Court Street may not have been posted in time."
Other Select Board Business:
- The board approved a lease agreement for a satellite police office in downtown Plymouth at a building on North Street, which will provide increased police presence in the area.
- Police Chief Dana Flynn plans to staff the office from 8 a.m. to midnight as staffing permits and will use the location to store bicycles and equipment for downtown patrols.
- The board dissolved 79 inactive committees that had been established between 1907 and 2022 but retained the Nuclear Matters Committee.
- Select Board member John Mahoney requested a future agenda item to discuss taking no action on Special Town Meeting Article 12 regarding firearms regulations.
- The Recreation Division reported signing up over 1,000 children for summer programs within hours of registration opening.