Princeton 40B on Riverneck Road
Princeton Properties is pushing yet another high density 40B project, proposed on three acres along Riverneck Road. This parcel of land abuts one of the town's drinking water supplies and has several environmental concerns. Developers approached the town in 2003, wanting to build 84 units on the 9 acre parcel. In 2004, the ZBA issued a 40B permit for 75 units. The developer appealed this alteration of the plans to the state-run housing appeals committee. Since part of the property is considered wetlands, the location of the buildings and parking facilities has been an ongoing concern.
The project changed yet again when a National Heritage group raised the fact that there is a rare turtle species that makes its home on this property. Thankfully, an environmental order was issued protecting 6 acres to preserve and protect the turtle species. The developer's response was not to scale down the project, but to propose building 72 units in three buildings on the remaining 3 acres! After continued fighting, the project now stands at 48 units in 1 building on 3 acres. Because they want to build at such high densities, there is no space left for parking. What is the developer's solution? Constructing an underground parking garage of course! This means deep excavation near wetlands and a building that will likely rise to nearly five stories! As a concession, the developer is promising to give the turtles a "specially designed fence."
The ZBA has informed us that this project is currently under litigation. However, the developer seems so confident that they are already advertising the property on their website (as luxury condos of course)! Check it out here
Please remind your local officials that they need to stop this kind of excessive growth. This kind of development strains our municipal budget, adds no reasonable affordable housing for our working families and continues to degrade our community character and quality of life.
Contact the Selectman and/or the ZBA today by using the link below
Fee free to use these speaking points:
- The state Department of Housing & Community Development has made it clear that the ZBA is not to concern itself with developer profits and the financial impact of zoning decisions. They are, however, encouraged to review zoning issues such as density.
- The state's own guidelines for maximum density allow for no more 8 times normal density (that translates to no more than 24 units on 3 acres in this case).
- There's no reason the ZBA should even consider maximum density on a parcel as environmentally sensitive as this one.
- The maximum density of this project should include three market rate units -- the normal density for private profitable development in Chelmsford -- plus a reasonable number of affordable units that should be sold at cost of construction for our working families.
- A 75% affordable project on this parcel would consist of a maximum of 9 affordable units in addition to the three market rate units. That is the largest project that makes sense for this parcel of land.