Salisbury eyes site for affordable housing

SALISBURY — The Salisbury Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to refer a proposal for affordable housing on a town-owned parcel to the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) at the board’s regular meeting (online) Monday, Jan. 8.

The Salisbury Housing Trust wants to build two affordable homes on a parcel on Undermountain Road (Route 41), roughly across the street from the junction of Undermountain Road and Conklin Street.

The lot is currently used for parking by, among others, employees of the White Hart Inn.

From the discussion, it emerged that the lot once held two buildings, one of which was used for art lessons.

First Selectman Curtis Rand emphasized repeatedly that by referring the matter to P&Z, the selectmen are not signing off on any particular plan. He also pointed out that the selectmen’s meeting was not a P&Z public hearing.

P&Z will conduct a review to determine if using the site will align with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development. The P&Z review is a necessary first step.

Because the parcel is owned by the town, the final decision on whether to go ahead rests with the town meeting.

Rand said of the dozens of emails he received on the matter, the ratio was about 3:1 in favor of using the site for affordable housing.

Rand did have a preliminary plan, which he put up on the screen for the audience. It shows two modest two-story dwellings and a buffer of open space on the western side of the property, to provide some protection for nearby neighbors.

Robin Roraback, who lives on Grove Street near the site, urged the selectmen “to keep an open mind.”

She said the neighbors will have to live with the final decision, as opposed to housing supporters who live somewhere else. Roraback is a correspondent for The Millerton News.

George Massey said he was in favor of the idea but asked the selectmen to hold off for a month to get more input from the public.

Holly Liebrock pointed out that the site is used for parking now: “It’s not a vacant lot.”

Several people observed that the matter under discussion was to refer the matter to P&Z for the review, and if there is an application, that process allows for plenty of public comment.