Affordable housing bylaw OK'd

A new bylaw in Plainville requires developers building homes in town to reserve at least 10 percent of their projects for affordable housing.

The bylaw, approved Monday in a 61-to-7 vote at Town Meeting, is the town's first affordable housing bylaw. Norton has a similar requirement, but most communities do not, said Town Planner Amy Love .

The Planning Board drafted the bylaw to maintain Plainville's level of affordable housing as new developments are proposed. State law calls for communities to make 10 percent of their housing affordable for lower-income families.

Plainville is at 5.8 percent, Love said, and it needs the new bylaw to stay there. ``Every time we get a subdivision, we drop that number," she said.

Projects with fewer than eight homes or apartments will not be subject to the bylaw.

Critics said the bylaw will hurt developers. The bylaw needs a density bonus ``to create the needed economics," said John Ted Mahoney III , president of Windjammer Construction Corp. and a resident. A density bonus would allow developers to build more units on a piece of land if they reserve part of the project for affordable housing.

Developers already may take advantage of Chapter 40B, a state law that allows them to bypass most local zoning if they designate 20 percent to 25 percent of their projects as affordable.

Town officials said they recognize the risk that developers would shun the new bylaw and choose to build 40B projects instead, but they said that would only be a problem until Plainville reaches its 10 percent affordable housing goal. After that, the town would no longer be subject to Chapter 40B, and all developers building in Plainville would need to go through the town's bylaw.

``What this is attempting to do is hold our place," said Town Administrator Joseph Fernandes .

The bylaw allows developers to build the affordable units on a separate site if they wish.

Supporters of the bylaw said it gives the town more control over its future.

``[Chapter] 40B is a state law that a developer can come in and supersede all town laws," said Arthur Roy of Warren Street, an information technology worker who has served on numerous town boards. He said the law leaves the town defenseless against developments that might put a strain on town services.

Andrea Soucy , chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, said the bylaw will help address this concern: ``This is the town's attempt to try to take back some responsibility for how things are built in this town."