HINGHAM – The developer of a controversial affordable housing project near Black Rock Country Club has said he will decrease the number of units and put in new sidewalks, but residents still aren’t fans of the Ward Street proposal.
Brian Murphy, applying under River Stone LLC, wants to put a 13-building, 32-unit development on a 6.67-acre lot. The original plans were for a 10-building, 36-unit project.
Concerns from neighbors include increased traffic, access for fire engines and wastewater treatment, which were expressed at a crowded zoning board meeting on Thursday. Roughly 70 people attended the meeting at town hall.
“First, I want to make it clear that we have no objections to 40B projects if they’re responsible,” Maureen Lynch, who lives at 10 Autumn Circle, said. “But we don’t believe this project is responsible… We’re just outraged to think this could be a possibility.”
The project is being proposed under state law known as Chapter 40B, which allows developers to sidestep local zoning laws and build denser housing complexes in exchange for set-asides of below-market-rate units.
The new plans include 3.67 acres of green space, 135 parking spaces and eight designated affordable housing units. The update also outlines connecting Ward Street to public road Autumn Circle via a newly constructed “Viking Lane.”
“The project was generally reconfigured,” Brad McKenzie, engineer for River Stone, said. “We added sidewalks on all the roads, as requested, and it’s important to note that a lot of these changes were made in response to concerns from the planning board and public safety officials.”
Two residents, Eleanor Hickey and Kelly Moore of 9 and 5 Autumn Circle, hired a litigation attorney to represent them at Thursday’s meeting. They say part of the proposed road is on their properties, and that they are additionally concerned with impacts to drainage and traffic.
“We’re very interested in the impact this would have on Autumn Circle, which is devastating,” attorney Jeffrey De Lisi said. “If you’re talking 90 bedrooms, for zoning purposes, that’s one car per bedroom and that doesn’t include deliveries or guests. You’re talking… hundreds and hundreds of vehicles on a daily basis.”
McKenzie said the applicant hired an independent contractor to do a traffic study, and it found traffic would increase by one vehicle every three minutes on Ward Street.
Kirk Shilts, a board of health member, said he was concerned about the proposed septic design, soil absorption system and watershed security.
“Typically when we’ve seen 40B developments in town in areas that aren’t sewered, they’ve come before the board of health,” Shilts said. “I noticed with this particular project, we didn’t hear anything from them.”
The revised proposal comes after more than a year of contention between the developer and the town, which claims it has already met its state affordable-housing requirements.
The zoning board will take up the issue again at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25. All public hearings on the project must be completed by April 14, and the board will have until 40 days after to issue its decision.
Mary Whitfill may be reached at mwhitfill@ledger.com.