Would you like to show your support for the proposed St. Ann’s Village senior housing project in Wayland?

ZBA Case 23-09: Saint Ann's 40B Senior Housing, 124 Cochituate Road | waylandma

Here's your chance! Sign here to support ZBA approval of the project.

* PLEASE PUT YOUR STREET ADDRESS IN THE "Comments" BOX BEFORE CLICKING THE GREEN "SIGN PETITION" BUTTON - Thank you! *

There are MANY great reasons for approval of St. Ann’s Village:

• ESSENTIAL HOUSING:

- St. Ann's will provide 60 urgently needed 100% deeply affordable 30-60% AMI (Area Median Income) housing units for SENIORS (62+)

---- Alta Oxbow for example has 55 affordable units for 80% AMI (incomes up to $100k/yr) – St. Ann’s will complement with 60 deeply affordable 1BR units for seniors at $40-60k incomes

• ST. ANN’S FITS IN THE COMMUNITY: PowerPoint Presentation (wayland.ma.us)

- St. Ann's Village is a significantly smaller project than unfriendly 40B projects in Wayland (i.e. Commonwealth Residences on Rt 30 and pending Mahoney’s project on Rt 20)

- Design fits well into the topography & woods – only two stories high along Rt 27, and three stories high in the back of the site as it slopes downward

- Design fits the size and scale of the Rt 27 area

- Architectural style fits in the community

- The site only has abutters on one side (Windy Hill Lane), the remainder abuts church property

---- The building will be 150’ away from the closest house; the building was moved back to be triple (!) the required setback from the property line, 75’ vs. 25’, to maintain significant (50-75’ tall) trees, and dense foliage, in between

---- Façades facing the 2-4 abutting Windy Hill homes have been scaled down, quieted down to mirror typical residential facades, with muted colors, minimal lighting, reduced noise and activity, plus a sloped roofline which hides mechanical equipment

---- Evergreens will be added to help mitigate any winter time views when foliage is down

• ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP:

- Only the front portion of the site along Rt 27 will be developed, while staying out of the wetlands in the middle, and leaving the back portion entirely natural & undisturbed. 74% of the site will be undeveloped

- The existing St. Ann’s church septic system from 1962 will be rebuilt as part of the project, bringing it up to modern standards, reducing impacts to wetlands behind

- The existing St. Ann’s parking lot behind the rectory will be rebuilt, bringing stormwater runoff up to modern standards, reducing impacts on wetlands behind

- St. Ann’s Village will meet and often exceed state wetlands requirements, which are the required basis for 40B approvals

• THE CHURCH AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER:

- Kudos to St. Ann’s and Good Shepherd parish, led by Father Dave, who see housing as a human right, and putting vacant church land to work for the good of all

- POUA, the Developer, is the affordable housing arm of the Catholic Church, and is a non-profit to boot – so project profits aren’t going into a private developer’s pocket, they’re reducing housing costs here for seniors in need

- Over the past six months, POUA, working with the Town, has been very proactive and responsive with its design to make the project fit well into the Wayland community

- Once the project is open, the church located right next door will be able to offer services and support for seniors in residence (St Ann's Village will be non-denominational, and open to all)

• NO WAYLAND SCHOOLS BURDEN: As senior housing, the project will not burden local schools with additional students

• NO ADVERSE PROPERTY VALUE EFFECTS: Years of research show that well-designed affordable housing projects (like St. Ann’s) do not depress adjacent property values

• NO COST TO WAYLAND TAXPAYERS: Unlike affordable housing units that we build ourselves as a Town, which require significant funding, no Town funds (beyond $250,000 contributed in support by the Wayland Housing Trust) will be needed to build the project

• LIMITED TRAFFIC BURDENS: As a senior housing project, new traffic will be limited, off-hours, and create only de minimis impacts, if any, on a very busy road (Rt 27)

• NEW TAX REVENUES: New tax revenues will be created on currently non-profit (church) land, which will help offset potential Town emergency services for new seniors on site

• 10% AFFORDABILITY: Approval of St. Ann's Village brings Wayland back up to 10% affordability, so we can control our own destiny as a Town, protected against unfriendly 40B’s until our next 2030 census

Yes, I support the St. Ann’s senior housing project! I urge the Wayland Zoning Board of Appeals to approve this well-designed and planned, and much-needed, project as soon as possible.

Thank you!

[PLEASE PUT YOUR STREET ADDRESS IN THE "Comments" BOX BEFORE CLICKING THE GREEN "SIGN PETITION" BUTTON - Thank you!]