Developer Lou Russo recently received two good bits of news: the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has awarded him almost $2 million for his Bowers Brook development on Ayer Road; and the Harvard Board of Health (BOH) has granted conditional approval of his latest septic plans—the third revision—pending comments and full approval from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Last March the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust (MAHT) awarded Russo a $200,000 grant toward the $12 million Bowers Brook price tag.
In a press release from the governor’s office, the news came on Jan. 8 that the state will invest $153.9 million in funds from various affordable housing programs, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and private investment to support 26 projects in 17 Massachusetts communities. Funds assist developers who produce housing for low- and moderate-income seniors, families, individuals and special-needs state residents.
Of that amount, Bowers Brook senior housing is earmarked to get $1,981,233 in DHCD subsidies and $756,000 in federal low income housing tax credits. These tax credits are then available for purchase by corporations such as banks and insurance companies through a syndicator. Russo told the health board at its Jan. 12 meeting that it could take up to six months to line up the investors.
The all-affordable senior-housing building will include 21 one-bedroom apartments and 16 two-bedroom units; all residents must be at 60 percent or more below the area’s median income (AMI). The remaining five units are on record with DHCD as being set aside for residents earning 30 percent or below the AMI.
According to Russo in an interview this week, of the five, two will be funded through the state’s Community Based Housing program for special needs residents, two will be designated for Section 8–voucher residents, and one will be offered, unsubsidized, by Russo. Three handicapped-accessible units are planned, and, Russo says, more can be easily converted.
Because the 42-unit senior-housing component can be counted toward the state-mandated affordable housing goal of 10 percent of each town’s year-round housing for those earning less than 80 percent of the area’s median income, Harvard boards have been positive about Bowers Brook. At present, only 2.8 percent of Harvard’s housing is considered affordable.
The large building, which would be constructed behind the present Dunkin’ Donuts building, would allow the town a two-year breather on having to consider 40B affordable housing applications.
While finances have played a large part in delaying the senior housing component of Bowers Brook, the Board of Health and DEP approval processes have been time-consuming for Russo’s Wheeler Realty Trust as well. A complex nitrogen aggregation credit plan has long been in the DEP review stage, and its rejection would send Russo back to the drawing board and Plan B. Because the configuration of individual components and their types constitute a “pilot project,” or nonstandard form of construction, DEP takes much more time to review the plans. Having obtained only conditional approval from the DEP, the proposed innovative alternative Modular FAST wastewater treatment system obtained only conditional approval at the health board’s Jan. 12 meeting. It will service both a proposed office building and the senior housing.
Ira Grossman, sanitarian for the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health and agent to the BOH, recommended that the board not grant approval on any septic plans until the DEP made its final evaluation. Saying that the system is still “a pilot project,” Grossman clashed with Russo and his engineers at the meeting on several technical points involving the design and on whether the DEP’s conditional approval was sufficient.
“We’re concerned about the timing and the construction of this office building. We have a contract that will go stale with the client if the permits are not signed by the end of the month. We want a vote tonight,” Russo told the board.
“Bio-Microbics has obtained approval and certification for their design,” he added. “I don’t feel this is the type of thing that should hold up a development like this. It will stall us into infinity. It’s a good way to kill this project.”
Grossman responded that the DEP’s regional engineer, David Boyer, agreed with him that this is a pilot project, and said that the DEP conditional approval letter fails to mention a chemical feed, a component integral to the Bio-Microbics system. The chemical feed for carbon is necessary for the office building’s septic system because it lacks carbon from any residential sources. Carbon provides the nutrients necessary for the septic system bacteria to function. If the housing component, with its own contribution to the stream, were part of the immediate project, the feed would not be necessary. Grossman insisted that the board should have a modified DEP letter.
Slated for construction on land behind the present Maugel Architects building, the proposed office building will have a similar look. Russo plans to start construction as soon as weather permits.
