With a 350-unit housing development in the works, Concord is on the verge of meeting a state mandate for affordable housing and regaining control over future development.
As has been the case in many suburbs facing pressure from builders, Concord officials were initially skeptical of supporting such a large project, but quickly realized it was an opportunity they couldn't pass up.
"It's a very important goal to reach," Selectman Gregory Howes said of the state threshold. "Under the current model, you have no control over your destiny. What we want is to be able to dictate and proactively manage open space and development so the shape, look, and feel of your community is somewhat in your control. With 40B, it's not."
Currently, about 5.4 percent of the town's housing stock (330 of 6,095 units) is considered affordable; the new project in West Concord proposed by Trammell Crow Residential would be enough to put the town over the required 10 percent mark set by the state.
A state law known as Chapter 40B allows developers to bypass the typical permitting process in communities that do not meet the 10 percent threshold as long as they set aside 25 percent of their new units as affordable.
Once a town meets the 10 percent mark, developers are again under the thumb of local officials, who can shoot down plans they don't think fit the community.
Fifty-one Massachusetts communities have reached the 10 percent mark, and many are close to meeting that goal, said Phil Hailer, a spokesman for the state's Department of Housing and Community Development. Many communities at 10 percent are cities, but Hailer said more and more suburban communities are catching up.
Bedford, Burlington, Lawrence, Lexington, and Lowell are among the cities and towns in this area that have surpassed the 10 percent mark.
But it's still not easy for many communities. Howes said it would be nearly impossible unless the town supported a large-scale project like the one proposed by Trammel Crow Residential.
"It's been hard to imagine how you'd reach the goal by building five houses here and five houses there," Howes said. "You'd have to gobble up every piece of valuable land. So when you have a project like this where you can get it done in one fell swoop, it's hard to say no."
Trammell Crow has applied for a comprehensive permit for 350 rental units and is scheduled to go before the town's Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday. If approved, the development would be Concord's largest residential project. The firm has also agreed to appear before the Planning Board in an attempt to work out some issues before they are addressed by the zoning board.
"The developer has been very responsive to the issues raised so far," said Marcia Rasmussen, the town's planning director.
Trammell Crow is scheduled to meet with the Planning Board Tuesday.
A project of this size is expected to raise some concerns, Rasmussen said. Issues include traffic, noise, and landscaping, said town officials and abutters.
The development is located on 30 acres in Concord but borders Maynard, Acton, and Sudbury. Access will be off Old Powder Mill Road in Acton.
John Murray, Acton's temporary town manager, said the narrow, winding road is not adequate to handle the additional traffic. He said the developers have been cooperative and willing to address concerns about the traffic impact in Acton.
"We're getting along and working together," Murray said. He said the selectmen in Concord and Acton have agreed to get together in the near future to discuss all concerns with the project.
Tim O'Connor, a managing director of Trammell Crow Residential, said he is well aware of the traffic concerns and the company is prepared to make improvements along Old Powder Mill Road and Sudbury Road.
"I'm sure it will be an item discussed in great detail," he said.
Also feeling an impact from the project will be residents of Cranberry Circle in Sudbury, a neighborhood that abuts the proposed development.
Doug Beattie, a Cranberry Circle resident, said neighbors knew the land would be developed someday, but they are concerned about the size of the project.
"Nobody wants 350 units in their backyard, so we weren't too keen on the idea," he said. "But there's not much we can do."
Beattie said the neighbors have been meeting with the developer for a year. So far, he said, company officials have been responsive.
For example, Trammell Crow originally proposed buildings four stories high but has cut back to three stories. It has also moved the taller buildings away from the neighborhood so they are not right on the lot lines.
Rasmussen said even though the project is in Concord, town officials will listen carefully to concerns from neighboring towns. She said she has been in touch with Sudbury's town planner and will soon send out copies of the plan to Maynard and Acton.
The plan calls for the housing to be spread out over 19 buildings, O'Connor said. Most of the units have one or two bedrooms, but there will be some three-bedroom units. Eleven of the buildings will be three stories tall, and the remainder are two-story town house-style buildings.
Trammell Crow also plans to build a clubhouse on the property for the renters.
"Our idea is for the site to try to reflect the historic character of Concord," O'Connor said. The clubhouse, for example, will be styled after a traditional Concord farmhouse, looking more like a home than a common area.
Jennifer Fenn Lefferts can be reached at jflefferts@yahoo.com.
