Rebecca Stanizzi 0

Support Proposed St. Ann's Affordable Senior Housing in Wayland

351 signers. Add your name now!
Rebecca Stanizzi 0 Comments
351 signers. Almost there! Add your voice!
95%
Maxine K. signed just now
Adam B. signed just now

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 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!]

Share for Success

Comment

351

Signatures