In recent weeks, many questions have been asked about the proposed Matinecock Court affordable housing development, and specifically about the Town's role. Here are some facts about the project;

            This is not a new project. In fact, the project was first proposed more than 30 years ago, when Housing Help obtained an option to buy the property and first sought to have the parcel rezoned to allow for multi-family rental units to be built. Housing Help sought to build 210 rental units on the site.

            Many of the Town's actions have been the result of court orders and settlements of court suits. As a result of a suit -- which was filed in 1980, continued through the decade and went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1988 -- the Town was ordered to rezone the property. In 1997, Housing Help filed a second action, which charged that the Town and its Community Development Agency took various actions to interfere with and block the development. Pursuant to a U.S. District Court Judge's threat of contempt and fines, in August 2000 the Town entered into a court-ordered settlement. The Judge retained jurisdiction of the matter to ensure that all of the terms of the settlement were carried out.

            The Town resolved the matter for three reasons: to ensure that a proper environmental review would occur; to ensure that the private developer would not use money from fines and sanctions to finance the project; and to limit the maximum density.

            This is a private project. It is not sponsored by the Town. The town did contribute $300,000 in federal community development funds to assist in the planning process, but that was as a result of a court settlement. The Town has also agreed as part of that settlement to express support if Housing Help attempts to seek federal or state funds. While the units, once built, will have to be sold and/or rented in compliance with fair housing rules, Housing Help will be responsible for screening applicants for family size, income, employment history, home ownership/rental history and credit worthiness. It is expected that Housing Help will contract with a professional management company to administer the application process.

            A public comment session was held on the project. After the initial application was made to the Planning Board in 1995, more than 400 people appeared at a public meeting to discuss the plans and submitted an 18-page report in opposition to the plans. The town asked Housing Help to respond to all of the issues raised. Under the court-ordered settlement, a second scoping session was not required.

            Throughout the decades-long history of the project, the Town has been sensitive to community concerns and has obtained significant changes in the project in response to those concerns.

            Among those changes were:

·        A reduction in the size of the project to a maximum of 155 units.

·        A change from all rental to half rental, half equity ownership

·        Creation of a community advisory committee to address community concerns and to suggest changes. The committee, formed in 2003, filed official comments on the draft environmental impact statement and brought about changes in areas such as increasing road width, the number of parking spaces and some setbacks and the inclusion of landscape buffers around the perimeter.. 

The current plan calls for construction of 155 affordable units – 77 ownership, 77 rental plus a unit for the on-site manager --a community center, a sewage treatment plant and approximately two parking spaces per unit. The plan complies with Town Code affecting stormwater management.