Norwich
The idea of development in the well traveled corridor has sparked a lively discussion among residents over how best to plan for the town’s future.
Proponents of the plan say it could help bring diversity and affordable housing to Norwich, as well as offset the costs of providing services to far-flung homes.
Opponents, many of whom have been posting about the project on the town email forum, say that opening the door to major developments could cost taxpayers money and change the character of the town.
The goal of such a district, as outlined in a May 2015 report from the Planning Commission, is to help implement the town plan, which aims to “reduce sprawl and preserve Norwich’s rural character by significantly reducing development potential on 97 percent of the town’s land area,” the report said.
Town officials may “guide such development as may be necessary to meet the needs of current residents and future generations toward existing settlement areas and major transportation corridors,” the report said — perhaps by easing density restrictions in the Route 5 and River Road corridor.
Details about what that district might look like are sparse for now, because the Planning Commission must first decide on a proposal before presenting it to the public for discussion.
Jeff Goodrich, chairman of the Planning Commission, said the best way to understand what the district could look like would be to attend a meeting.
“What that district is going to be has yet to be determined,” Goodrich said. “Every one of our meetings is public, and they’re frankly very sparsely attended, and I believe that our goal is to have some public forums.”
According to Planning and Zoning Director Phil Dechert, a concrete proposal from the commission would trigger at least one public hearing before reaching the Selectboard, which has final say over zoning changes.
The Selectboard likely would hold its own hearings, Dechert said, and if it chose to adopt a change, opponents still could force a townwide vote by submitting a petition signed by 5 percent of voters within 20 days.
Among the matters that the Planning Commission is considering are where to site the district, how much density to allow and how best to include affordable housing incentives.
Cautioning that nothing was yet final, Dechert said the commission had a few different potential locations in mind, including parts of a field opposite Fogg’s Hardware and Building Supply and a large tract between River Road, Church Street and Interstate 91.
Some residents have expressed concern that the scenic field across from Fogg’s would be entirely taken up by development, but Dechert said the site was mostly wetlands and only a small portion, if any, was usable.
Stuart Richards, a former Planning Commission member and former Affordable Housing Commission chairman, has criticized the initiative publicly in recent weeks. In an interview on Wednesday, he said he believed extending the town’s services to these higher-density developments would cost taxpayers money.
“I don’t want to see the taxes in Norwich go up,” Richards said. “We have seen so many people driven out because the taxes make it unaffordable to live here. I have a lot of friends who have departed Norwich and have gone somewhere else.”
Jeff Lubell, a Planning Commission member who also sits on the Affordable Housing Commission, predicted the inverse. In an interview later that day, he floated the idea that affordable housing could lead to lower taxes.
“One of the challenges we have in Norwich and other towns is that we are not fully utilizing our available school facilities,” he said.
Attracting more families with children could reduce school costs and therefore taxes, he said.
“I think it’s important to think about taxes, but I wouldn’t necessarily assume that your taxes would go up,” Lubell said. “I think it could go down, actually.”
As it stands, Norwich’s zoning code includes incentives for developers to include affordable housing units in their projects, Lubell said, but the Planning Commission now is weighing whether to alter those incentives for this new potential district.
According to Dechert, developers already may receive up to a 50 percent density bonus for including affordable housing. Again stressing that the Planning Commission has not made any decision and that numbers may change, Dechert provided a copy of a memo among Planning Commission members that proposes an in-district density of eight units per acre for developments with affordable housing.
The planning and zoning director also noted that site plan requirements often lead to a reduction of density in a given development, based on factors such as wetlands, steep slopes and agricultural potential.
What those developments could look like is up in the air as well.
Dechert said the Planning Commission was not considering limiting the zoning area to single-family or multi-family units, whether standalone houses, townhouses, or “planned-use developments,” which can bring residences together with such other uses as commerce and recreation.
“We’re talking about density,” Dechert said. “We’re not talking necessarily about how you’re going to do it.”
This is not the first time the town has discussed taking action to allow higher-density development near the village.
Several years ago, Norwich officials considered using the former Agway site on Church Street for affordable housing, but abandoned the idea after discovering that an on-site septic system wasn’t feasible, former Selectman Ed Childs recalled.
In an interview on Wednesday, Childs predicted that, if this zoning district came to be, developers would not fill the space to its maximum extent.
“You may find a site or two that’ll work,” he said, “but personally I think people are getting a little too excited over what probably won’t amount to much in the long term.”
Richards, for his part, said he didn’t oppose affordable housing, itself, but rather “mega projects” that could weigh on town services.
“Speaking against affordable housing is like speaking against apple pie and motherhood,” he said.
It is “desirable to have affordable housing,” Richards added — “provided it doesn’t increase taxes in town, provides diversity and does not change the character of the town.”
The next Planning Commission meeting is Aug. 25 at 7 p.m., according to the town website.
Rob Wolfe can be reached at rwolfe@vnews.com or at 603-727-3242.