To the Editor,
I am correcting the facts contained in the letter to the editor last week (“Wake up Manchester! MBTA Zoning will Lead to a “Horror Show,” Manchester Cricket, 27 Sept. 2024) by Susan Wadia-Ells. Under the proposed zoning:
•Mariposa: maximum allowed units would be 8, not 20. Units are capped at lot size square feet divided by 2,000.
•Affordable Housing: 20% of the units in a project of 5 or more units must be affordable at 80% of AMI (average median income in greater Boston), no payment in lieu of creating an affordable unit, and any builder may offer more affordable units and may restrict them to less than 80% of AMI.
•Senior Housing: although the zoning cannot require senior housing, any builder may build units restricted to senior housing.
•Unit size: in determining unit capacity, the State Compliance model assumes 1,000 sq. ft. per unit including common areas; however, units actually built can be any size without restriction, two- or three-bedroom units are required to be built.
•Morse Ct: not all properties are included, the largest is a 13,534 sq. ft. lot, currently 4 units, the maximum units allowed would be six, with a maximum of three, units per 2.5 story building.
•Propensity for Change RKG Report: considered acquisition and building costs and determined only 34 units are likely to be built in the overlay districts inside of Rte. 128; plus, 100 units at Cape Ann Storage if that property is sold and wouldn’t that be a great place for senior housing.
•Grants: if we did not have $4.5 million in grants for FY25, the tax rate increase would be 18.3%, instead of 4.1%, an additional increase of 12.2%.
Just the facts, Ma’am!
Sarah Mellish
Member, MBTA Zoning Task Force
