At the conclusion of the Monday, June 14, 2021 Town Council voted 6-1 in favor of holding a workshop to further discuss the Town Center Affordable Housing Amendments.  The workshop has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. and will be followed by a Special Meeting.

After considering options to schedule a public hearing; refer to a Town Council workshop; and/or refer back to the Ordinance Committee, the consensus was to schedule a workshop.  The intention of the workshop will be to to engage the community by answering questions; clarify the common facts and address misperceptions; highlight the research and action plans drawn from the 2019 Comprehensive Plan; and provide further education on Tax Increment Financing (TIF).

Councilor Valerie Deveraux, who voted against this particular workshop, opted for one that would enlist the advice of experts to help determine which  ordinance amendments best support affordable housing -- prior to engaging the community.  Similarly, Councilor Nicole Boucher stated that she was struggling with the proposed amendments because, "It's one solution that we don't know is the solution for our town when there are so many other models for us to explore."  Chair Jamie Garvin suggested that the 2019 Comprehensive Plan had already done most of the work and would eliminate the need for outsourcing.  The task is to, "Draw out what has been highlighted in the Comprehensive Plan and the associated action items that would address this particular issue."  

Councilor Gretchen Noonan, in response to a comment made by resident Sara Lennon during the public comment, shared a quick and informal estimate of the number of emails the council has received from citizens on the subject since the last meeting: "Roughly 60 people have written in disagreement of the project."  Garvin added, "contextually I think we can count on less than one hand those who are in support of the proposal."  In addition, Lennon suggested that the council define parameters for deeming what makes a project a "substantial public benefit." 

The June 22 workshop will be held in the Council Chambers at Town Hall.