Salisbury Housing Committee establishes a new advisory group

SALISBURY — About 75 people packed a meeting room at the Salisbury Congregational Church on Saturday, July 16 for a second information session organized by the Salisbury Housing Committee (SHC), which is seeking access over a portion of the town-owned railroad corridor off East Railroad Street.

The nonprofit group proposes to build 18 to 20 rental units on the 5.3-acre parcel recently donated to SHC by adjoining property owner Jim Dresser.

The 11 a.m. informational session, which at times drew tense exchanges, was preceded by a 9 a.m. site visit offering residents a tour of the proposed right-of-way for a driveway over the old railroad corridor off East Railroad Street leading to the proposed affordable housing site.

About 20 participants, including neighbors, walked the area and asked questions as SHC members planted small white flags delineating the proposed right-of-way. The goal of the site visit, said organizers, was to give people a visual image of the proposed access point.

Resident Joanne Hayhurst said she found the early morning site visit, and information provided by SHC member Abeth Slotnick, to be beneficial. “You can see how it curves around (Spillane’s) property,” she said, pointing to the proposed access.

“Abeth explained how they are going to separate the rail trail itself from the road with boulders, or fencing,” similar to the design used at the rail trail in Millerton. “We’ve just got to get to the starting line.”

Access approval is needed before the housing plan can move forward. A positive vote granting the right-of-way at a town meeting at 7:30 p.m. on July 28, also at the church, will enable SHC to begin the Planning and Zoning special permit process to seek approval to construct the rental units.

Advisory group planned

Peter Halle, co-president of SHC, began the information session by announcing that his group has followed up on a suggestion from resident Sally Spillane, who lives adjacent to the rail trail, to form an advisory group of neighbors and other residents to meet with SHC as the project develops.

“We have met and embraced the idea. We’ve never done anything like this before, so it is new to us,” he said of the idea which came out of SHC’s first info session June 30.

Halle also noted that, if granted, the access would be non-transferable and may be used solely for the development of the SHC parcel for affordable housing purposes and that the right-of-way would cease to exist upon any sale of the undeveloped property to another developer.

Clarifying another point raised at the first information session, Halle explained that no property along the rail corridor would be able to share or extend the SHC driveway without another town meeting and vote.

Lively exchange of questions, answers

SHC members Jocelyn Ayer and Slotnick gave an overview of affordable housing in the town and presented plans for the driveway access over the railroad corridor. The meeting lasted more than an hour and a half.

Slotnick explained that rather than follow an easement over Spillane’s property, which would bring the proposed 25-foot driveway “within inches from the corner of her porch,” the plan is to pull it a short distance away, “so we no longer have a right of way easement across her back yard.”

Comments and questions from attendees ranged from concerns about traffic and maintenance to support for the plan and the urgent need for affordable housing in Salisbury.

Several speakers voiced concerns about the planned housing density, future expansion of units and that allowing renters from other towns would harm Salisbury’s character.

“This really just allows us to get to the starting point for the project,” said Ayer. Traffic studies and architectural plans will be prepared once funding can be obtained. “We really need this access so we can answer all the other questions.”

75 new dwellings in 10 years

Ayer, a volunteer with the SHC, explained that Salisbury has a goal to build 75 new dwellings over the next decade, lifting the percentage of affordable housing from the current 2% to 5%.

“Ninety-five percent of our housing stock is still open to market forces,” she explained. “If we can get the units to all these other properties” that the town has targeted for affordable housing, said Ayer, “we can get to that 5%.”

Resident Amy Longley asked if residents can be assured that there will be no future expansion at the site in additional phases, such as has happened with Sarum Village, which is about to break ground this year on its third phase and 10 new units.

Ayer said the language in the development plan would limit the East Railroad Street site to 18 to 20 units. “There is nowhere else for us to build. This property has a lot of limitations,” including wetlands and vernal pools, she explained.

Longley also questioned how the development would be maintained and expressed concern about congestion in the area. “We are talking about people traffic and car traffic,” she said. “I think cluster housing in the center of town is not a good idea.”

Ayer noted that repairs would be make through federal funding to the state, and traffic studies would be conducted once access approval is granted.

Smaller density suggested

Fowler Street resident Sean Grace, whose property abuts Spillane’s, voiced concern about the density of the housing plan. “Even at 20 units you still have a minimum of two cars going in and out at all hours and that does change the nature of the area.”

Grace noted that 20 units is close to one-third of the town’s targeted goal over the next 10 years and suggested a lower density of 10 units.

Another Fowler Street resident asked about the selection process for renters, to which Ayer explained that prospective renters are not chosen by the state, but rather they must undergo credit and background checks, meet certain income requirements and fill out an application in order to get onto the waiting list.

Slotnick noted that when people talk about huge amounts of traffic, they overlook the fact that renters will include single parents and retirees. “It’s not like they are all together going to charge out in this huge parade of traffic.”

Advocates see ‘desperate’ need

Several residents, including Kathy Voldstad, who recently purchased the old Ragamont Inn, spoke in favor of a “walkable community” and offered support for the East Railroad Street access plan. “I welcome this project and new people to town. It’s just so constricting to shut people out. The diversity of our community is what made us so rich. We are much poorer in every way if we don’t have them in our community.”

Voldstad received hearty applause when she asked those in attendance to “please open your hearts and welcome people.”