NORTHBOROUGH – Three duplexes of affordable housing are being proposed for town-owned land on Boundary Street near the future dog park.
The Northborough Affordable Housing Corporation is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was founded in 2008 with the purpose of supporting the creation of affordable housing in town, according to a memo to the Select Board. Since 2014, NAHC has been able to add nine units of affordable housing to the town with a 10th expected to be added shortly.
The corporation is partnering with Habitat for Humanity Metrowest/Greater Worcester on a project at 150 Boundary St. NAHC’s Rick Leif and Habitat Executive Director Debbie Maruca Hoak went before the Select Board on Nov. 4 to gauge its thoughts on the project as there would need to be a Town Meeting article donate the property to Habitat for Humanity.
What is proposed
Northborough had purchased the site to construct a sewer treatment plant.
NAHC and Habitat for Humanity have submitted an application to the Community Preservation Committee for funding to create 14 affordable housing units — eight to be created by the Housing Authority in a new building in Colonial Village for veterans and six on the Boundary Street site, which is 2.07 acres. According to Leif, the Housing Authority has been working with the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and received the thumbs up to construct the new building in Colonial Village.
According to Maruca Hoak, the Boundary Street project proposes a shared driveway leading to three duplexes. Two of the duplexes would contain two units, each with four bedrooms, and the third duplex would house two units with two bedrooms.
In a memo to the board, Habitat for Humanity is proposing to construct the project in two phases. According to Maruca Hoak, each phase is expected to take a year. Phase one would include the site work along with one of the four-bedroom duplexes. It is estimated to cost $1.4 million, with $400,000 to be possibly contributed by the Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding during the 2025 Town Meeting, $975,000 from Habitat with Humanity and $25,000 from NAHC.
Phase two calls for the construction of the remaining duplexes. This phase is estimated to cost $1.3 million with $425,000 to be requested in CPA funds during the 2026 Town Meeting and $875,000 from Habitat. According to Leif, there are CPA funds in reserve for affordable housing.
Between the two projects, Northborough’s affordable housing percentage will increase to 10.51%.
Leif said the nonprofit is interested in affordable housing from two perspectives.
The first is ensuring that the percentage of affordable housing remains over 10% so that the town would not be subject to unfriendly 40B projects, which allow developers to bypass certain zoning restrictions. Northborough’s percentage is currently 10.28%; Leif noted that it had been over 11% at one point.
Leif also said the corporation believes there is still a need for affordable housing.
“As long more market rate housing is built in town – and that is happening at a continuing rate — at some point we’re going to fall below the 10%,” said Leif. “We feel the time is right to at least add some level of affordable housing back to the town of Northborough, and opportunities are presenting themselves to that.”
Community Preservation Committee is expected to review the application on Dec. 5.
Trail
During the Select Board meeting, resident Cindy Burns, who lives on Boundary Street, voiced concerns about impacts to nearby wells. She also noted that there is a trail running through the property. She said hikers enter a trailhead on the street, and the trail crosses the street to Millham.
“But it’s a loop trail that’s been set up, and it goes right through the center of that property,” said Burns.
Select Board member Laura Ziton said that Burns was referencing the Boroughs Loop trail, which connects trails in Northborough, Southborough, Marlborough and Westborough. Leif said they would look into it, as he was unaware of it.
Planning Director Laurie Connors said that as a condition of approval for the project’s comprehensive permit the developer could be required to shift the location of the trail.
