Falls Village affordable housing moves forward, despite opposition

FALLS VILLAGE — On Oct. 22, the Falls Village Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) voted unanimously to approve the site plan application from the Falls Village Housing Trust to build an affordable housing complex on River Road. 

The approval was contingent on the following conditions: The development is fully bonded to ensure completion; the construction must conform to the site plan and the zoning regulations; the existence of potable water must be confirmed; the Trust must submit a management plan for P&Z approval; hours of construction are limited to Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the permissions and approval of other relevant commissions and agencies must be noted on the development’s routing sheet; and the lot line change between Habitat for Humanity and the Trust must be finalized.

The commission also recommended that an area be set aside for overflow parking.

(Prior to the P&Z taking up the application, it was approved by the Inland Wetlands Commission  at its June 15 meeting.)

The P&Z held an online public hearing on the development, spread over three nights: Sept. 23, Oct. 1 and Oct. 14.

On Sept. 23, Jandi Hanna from the Housing Trust noted that the application is slightly more than half the size of the trust’s original proposal in 2019.

The plan is now for 16 units containing 29 bedrooms in five buildings, set farther back from the road than the 2019 version and requiring one phase of construction work instead of two.

There are six one-bedroom apartments, seven two-bedroom apartments and three three-bedroom apartments.

Engineer George Johannason reported that the application meets the requirements for the town’s Incentive Housing Zone.

Emily Jones, of Civil One Engineers and representing the applicant, said a traffic study showed “no negative impact” on traffic on River Road and Lime Rock Station Road.

There were questions about whether or not the wells needed for the housing complex would have a negative effect on the neighbors’ water supplies.

Jones said that the state has the final say on water issues, and if the applicant cannot demonstrate there is no negative impact, then there is no project. 

The Oct. 1 meeting was largely comments and questions. Laser began by reiterating that the hearing was on the site plan application, and that the commission would not discuss the legality of the Incentive Housing Zone. 

“That’s settled,” he said.

 On Oct. 14, the first part of the scheduled two hours was devoted to reading letters supporting and opposing the proposal into the record. A running count had 24 letters in favor of the proposal, offset by one letter, with multiple signatures, in opposition.

After the vote on Oct. 22,  P&Z Chair Fred Laser read letters opposing the development from Daly Reville, Laura Werntz and Colter Rule.

Reville, Werntz and Rule subsequently reiterated their objections to the housing plan at meetings of the Board of Selectmen and Finance.