Selectmen continue 40B deliberations
By Melissa Muntz Contributing Writer

Shrewsbury - When tested on 18 diff erent criteria, the proposed Fairfield mixed-use 40B development outscores AvalonBay's residential proposal 2-to-1, according to some town officials.

In a presentation before the Board of Selectmen Aug. 20, Town Manager Daniel Morgado, Policy Planner Judith Barrett of Community Opportunities Group and Town Planner Eric Denoncourt discussed the pros and cons of the two proposals.

The group presented a checklist created to illustrate which project better met each criterion. Fairfield was given in edge over AvalonBay in its consistency with the town's Master Plan, the quality of the design, the location, the ability to create sustainable revenue, site and neighborhood improvements, project density, economic development, and overall benefit to the town.

AvalonBay was determined to be a less risky project, though, with less neighborhood impact, fewer issues with traffic, water and sewer, and it was concluded that the development team is better prepared to move forward in terms of financial capacity, site control and ease of permitting.

Although one project was chosen as the better fit for each area, Morgado said that did not mean that the other project failed to fulfill the criteria, just that it didn't meet it as well.

"Both of the developers took the RFI[Residential Fixed Investment] and made strong proposals," he said.

Morgado said it is now up to the board to determine which areas they believe are most important to create a successful project.

The proposed Fairfield project would incorporate 335 residential units with 165,000 square feet of commercial and office space located within the Lakeway Overlay District. The AvalonBay project would include 444 residential units in a single-use project located on CenTech Boulevard. The Lakeway Overlay District along Route 9 was designed to incorporate mixed-use projects similar to the Fairfield project, and this is one of the biggest pros to the project, according to Morgado.

"This project meets the clear objective of the district … and is radically diff erent than what as been done previously," he said.

AvalonBay, on the other hand, would create multifamily housing in an area zoned for single-family homes. This was an area of concern for Barrett.

"[AvalonBay] is the easiest project, but it's the least appropriate for the site," she said.

But Fairfield does come with more risk than the deliberations

AvalonBay project. Fairfield has not yet discussed which retailers would be sought to fill the commercial space and the board will not have that information prior to their decision. Conversely, AvalonBay is a one-time deal completed by a developer that has already proven itself to the town with the Avalon Shrewsbury development on Route 20.

The group also presented the cost of each project to the town over the course of the next 20 years. The Fairfield project would house an estimated 84 school children, and, after factoring in the taxes generated at the site, would cost the town $2.092 million over the next two decades. AvalonBay would house about 111 school children, and would cost the town $4.668 million after 20 years after taxes revenue is factored in.

Upfront, AvalonBay is offering a $4.6 million mitigation package to the town to off set costs, while Fairfield is off ering between $1.3 million and $2.2 million.

The Board of Selectmen is scheduled to choose a project Monday Aug. 27. As the deadline approaches, the selectmen are expected to request additional information to help them make the decision, although there will still be unknowns as they make their final choice.

"You have to make a decision based on the information you have and a reasonable expectation of the information you don't," Morgado said.

In other news, town officials said there has been no formal vote on a start date for the proposed pay-as-you-throw program, although staff is preparing for a July 1, 2008, start. Morgado said that Board of Health officials had incorrectly stated that the Finance Committee, Board of Selectmen and Town Meeting had all approved the new program, however that is not the case.

Morgado said he expects pay-as-you-throw trash removal to be a cost savings initiative proposed during the course of fiscal year 2009 budget discussions.