On behalf of the many seniors, other town residents, and workers who’ve waited for decades for affordable homes (AH) in Southbury, the Southbury Affordable Housing Alliance (SAHA) would like to thank the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and State Representative Jason Buchsbaum for expediting the rewording of Special Act 13-23.
Although “special” is used in a different, legislative sense here, it is indeed special, since it has culminated in a revised version, Special Act 25-26, being passed to allow for the creation of more homes attainable to those with modest incomes in Southbury.
The development of mixed housing (AH units and those that are market-price) will be situated on 45 acres at Southbury Training School, set back from Route 172, across the street from the main campus, where the former Personnel Village was located.
With AH, a large number of people who’ve been suffering the fiscal and physical stress of having to make unhealthy sacrifices in order to pay what’s for them an unviable high rent or mortgage will have enough money for both necessities and non-necessities. Also, the Town’s coffers—lowered from the enormous flood-damage repair costs—will receive a very sizable check when Town Hall sells the 45-acre parcel to a third party of its choosing. And after residents occupy the AH, more revenue will come to the Town with the payment of property and personal taxes.
Further, construction of the new development will create jobs for folks and bring increased patronage of local businesses, which will also be the case after people move into AH and have discretionary money to spend in town.
For all these reasons, a great number of us think—or hope—that Town Hall will move quickly to fulfill the two steps the State requires before the latter cedes the land to the Town. The two prerequisites comprise a land survey and an environmental impact study (EIS), the cost of which Town Hall will recoup when it sells the land to a third party. (The third party will then be responsible for all costs associated with the development.)
I asked SAHA’s AH consultant, Connecticut’s seasoned, go-to AH guru David Berto, how long it would take Town Hall to complete these two steps. Knowing that the Board of Selectmen meets only twice a month, David informed me that the pre-ownership requirements should take only 6–7 months. And being aware that Town Hall is also working on selling the former IBM property, I offered SAHA’s pro bono help in preparing requests for proposals (RFPs) for the survey and EIS, even if it’s just clerical work. Anything they’d need to grease the path to land conveyance, we’d be happy to do.
Just as most people in Westport, Connecticut, were initially against AH until their town’s first AH development was constructed—then discovered that all the negative myths were unfounded and now are happy about more AH—I think Southburians who have reservations, who still believe the myths, or think AH is Section 8 (voucher) housing (it isn’t), will be pleasantly surprised.
Sharon Wirt, Southbury
Sharon Wirt is the President of Southbury Affordable Housing Alliance
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