3/23/2006 BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE Minutes

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The Coummktee also co-sponsored a zoning article that redefined Acoessory Apartment Zoning provisions. She said that, as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, she had heard several requests constantly about accessory apartments. An.example she gave concerxung accessory apartments was that when the Committee were building two separate buildings for apartments,the Z.B.A. were convinced that the second building was an accessory apartment building which was illegal. Ms. Elizenben-y said that most of the people who have come to theZ.B.A. had been families, 0-95%. She said that the Connriittee had put a lot of effort into assuring that accessory apartments were not becoming established by absentee landlords. In addition, the Committee is always supporting Habitat for Humanity,which had built six homes, She also said that it was the most beautiful thing in the world to see family recipients. Very deserving ones, she added. She defined the different tiers of housing. One type of housing suitable for Town employees,the market rate tier of housing; the non-marketable housing, thea affordable housing. She added that low-income people suffer the most. "Thur are not recognized, they are totally silent and they don't talk about it and they don't tell you "she said. During the Town Meeting in May, she said that the Committee has prepared an article to establish a Mashpee Town Trust to handle the finances for•acquiring affordable housing, As a Town Conunittee,the Affordable Housing Committee could not disburse funds, and always had to go in ft•ont of the Board of Selectmen. She said that having the article accepted was that it would have a.place to hold the ormnittee's finances. She said that the Town Trust would provide a tool for the Committee, as a result, the group was going to apply to the Community Preservation Act to seek a grant, and that they were going to be working very closely with the Housing Assistance Corporation. The Committee had preparcd a New]Member Orientation booklet concerning the affordable housing to those participating in it. Also, at the moment,the Committee was working on a housing brochure that the rnernbers would distribute to the all residents of the Town of Mashpee. That would be part of educating the Town, she said. The ZRA, had recently approved two affordable housing sites, one on Meeting House Road, and the other one being Main Street 'in Mashpee. The lotteries for those two had been very successful,according to Ms, Zellinbeny, She praised Town planner Tori.Fudala and the Housing Assistance Corps, for working closely with the Connnittee, which they continue to do. The ZBA decided to meet at one o'clock in the afternoon, so that citizens could come and be a part of the formal review of the Mashpee Commons 40B project. The meetings would be held 4/19/06; 5/2/06; 6113/06 and 6/27/06. Another-project pending in the planning stage is the Route 130 project in Mashpee, wlbich is land located treat to the industrial park. It will be a pnvate 40B project, with units and some rentals. Toward the end of the meeting, various members of the Blue ribbon.Committee talked mnong themselves and generated ideas to educate the public about the affordable housing issue. M. Elizenberry said that awareness was needed to help educate the population and be asked to join the Affordable Mousing Committee. Motion The Vice Chain-.an made a motion that the Blue Ribbon Comprehensive ormnittea support for the establishment of an Affordable Trust. Mr.Miller said that to make the public aware of what is going on,they would recd an awareness document, public relations. Ms. Elizinberry said that she had been working with affordable housing for 18 gears and believed that the solution was money. That once a community or town suffers enough, they will get affordable housing. She said that the type of housing Cape Cod needs are rentals.