Devens residents pro and con on Vicksburg Square

Vote ‘yes’

by Phil Crosby
 

Vicksburg Square is a historically significant set of buildings built in the depression by workers desperate for a paycheck. VBS served our country through three or more wars and now waits to serve countless other deserving Americans with the warm embrace of historic housing. All we need is the vision; Allen, Hale, Revere and Knox Hall will provide the canvas on which we shape that vision.

BASIC FACTS

• Buildings are deteriorating and currently in poor repair and generally open to the weather.
• In 2009 Shirley and Harvard overwhelmingly voted to rezone Vicksburg Square residential for up to 350 housing units. Ayer rejected the zoning and defeated the rezoning as it required unanimous consent.
• There have been no developer initiatives since 2005 when MassDevelopment vacated the building, until the Trinity Financial proposal of 2010.
• Trinity has been holding public listening sessions and information meetings on Devens and in Ayer, Shirley, and Harvard numbering more than 30.
• Many of the suggestions advanced during the listening sessions have been incorporated into the plan.
• Trinity Financial has an impeccable reputation and is currently managing many of their projects built since 1992.
• The Allen, Hale, Knox and Revere Hall, firehouse and the Baatan Corregidor Theater are listed in the national register as historic buildings worthy of preservation. They are accorded all the rights that such status brings.

QUESTIONS

Why do anything now?

Almost 20 years of deterioration these six building have reached the stage where VBS is a blight on the Devens community, both visually and economically. Home values are suffering and will continue to suffer as long as this blight continues.

Why not Innovation and Technology as zoned?

18 years of availability and 7 years of more aggressive marketing since Revere Hall was vacated, have illustrated a complete lack of interest for this use.

Can’t we do better than Trinity Financial proposal with a different developer willing to build market rate units that will generate more tax revenue?

The economic facts surrounding these building are that it will take $80 to $90 million dollars to renovate these buildings properly. Without historic tax credits of 20% and “affordable” housing credits of 65%, there is no financial path for a developer other than residential using affordable housing tax credits.

77-110 school age children are expected to populate Allen, Revere and Knox Hall. Will the Harvard School System be able to accommodate them?

We currently have 60-80 children on Devens. They come from families of modest means that hold great concern for their children’s well-being. Likewise, children populating Vicksburg Square will come from families of modest means that hold great concern for their children’s well-being.

The superintendent, on March 13, stated that the Harvard school system embraces the opportunity to educate ALL children that arrive at their door.

With a projected decrease in student enrollment, available classroom seats and Harvard’s history of accepting school choice students, it is a symbiotic relationship in the offing.

What are the rents for most of the VBS rentals?

The structured rental program for 80% of the units is that the Middlesex County Boston-Cambridge-Quincy rent structure extends to Ayer and VBS on Devens:

• 1 BR (max 2) $1,101 max income $46,980
• 2 BR (max 3) $1,321 max income $52,860
• 3 BR (max 4) $1,526 max income $58,680

CONCLUSIONS

• This region needs rental housing as evident in four most recent Ayer and Harvard planning documents addressing the need.
• Vicksburg Square and Devens cannot wait any longer for the renovation of these historic buildings.
• Trinity Financial has done more than what we could reasonably expect from a developer in shaping this redevelopment proposal.
• Devens will emerge as an attractive location for businesses and future residential development of Grant Road will be extremely attractive without a required affordable component and “DEC fast track permitting.”
• Harvard schools needs student to maintain their educational offerings at current levels and we can supply additional financed students from Vicksburg Square residential growth.
• Trinity will be our partner in this development for a minimum of 15 years, most likely longer as evidenced by their past corporate behavior.
• Retailers, building craftsmen, sub-contractors and service providers will get a much needed boost from this renovation project helping them survive in this current weak economy.
• Devens businesses will get a much needed housing option for their workers.
• Fort Devens will get a welcomed housing option for troops assigned here.
• MassDevelopment will get one huge redevelopment off their plate, allowing them to focus on other pressing development opportunities.

Vote ‘no’

by Heather Knowles

Reason 1 – The proposal is financially unsustainable

• We agree that a sustainable, historic redevelopment of Vicksburg Square would be benefical, but the proposed development will financially overburden the Devens community, or whichever town assumes governance, due to the overwhelming number of affordable units.
   
• Massachusetts encourages 10% affordable housing in towns to allow for a diverse mix of residents while maintaining financial viability. Devens currently has 25% affordable housing, more than double any of the surrounding towns. The Trinity proposal calls for 197 affordable and 49 market priced units. This would result in an unheard of 64% of all housing on Devens being affordable.
   
• Due to the overwhelming number of affordable units, the entire Vicksburg Square development will only generate approximately $210,000 of tax revenue. Estimates to provide the residents educational and basic services are in the 1-2 million range, again per year. It is unreasonable to assume the “state” will continue to cover this indefinitely, leaving Devens or the towns to bear a huge tax burden in the future.
   
• We have to consider the proposal at a budget level that includes all revenues and costs. Trinity argues that revenue from commercial properties will cover the education shortfalls. But if it’s a balanced budget, what needs to be cut in order to transfer the money to education? We are missing a real budget number: without an understanding of the operation numbers by MassDev on Devens, there is no way to predict future budgets.

Reason 2 – Concentrated affordable housing does not foster inclusion

• Housing “projects” of the past have given way to a new model of “inclusionary affordable housing,” as promoted by the National Housing Institute.
   
• Mass Development has stated that if the Trinity Development results in the loss of the Harvard School contract due to unsustainable costs (a frightening thought on its own), that the current residents should not worry because our kids are grandfathered in. This would mean that the renters would attend a different school than the “land owners” of the town. Creating a divided community on Devens does not serve our goal of becoming a vibrant, cohesive community.

Reason 3 – Urban housing densities require transportation and services

• Urban type housing densities require transportation to basic services and jobs, which will not be available to the Vicksburg Square residents. Trinity’s response is that they should ride a bike into Ayer. This is not reasonable for families, the elderly or most anyone in the winter.

Reason 4 – This development will complicate disposition

• Even assuming full build out of the remaining units allowed in 498, Devens would still be left with 43% of our houses as affordable. This has a huge impact on our viability as a town or as a member of the surrounding towns.
   
• If Devens becomes a town, it would have roughly half rental units, which impacts the availability of people to commit to long term community positions. There has never been even one DEAC, DC or DEC member who was a renter.

Reason 5 – Impact on current housing values and community housing mix

• Maintaining the current mix of types and sizes of houses, as specified in 498, will not be possible with such a large skew toward high-density, affordable, rental units.
   
• Selling houses in a community with 64% affordable housing will be a challenge.
   
• Future property values are highly dependent on what school system serves our town. MassDevelopment admits that they may look to reduce costs in the future and re-negotiate school contracts. Harvard is also entitled to end the school contract at any time. If the numbers of kids turn out to be unsustainable, i.e., require a new building, etc., they will terminate.

While it would be wonderful to have these buildings beautifully restored, we must consider the ramifications of developing Vicksburg Square as rentals with 80% of the units affordable. The financial and community impacts do not justify the restoration as outlined in the Trinity Proposal.