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Town staff maps town‑owned parcels as moratorium application moves to state review
Summary
Staff told the committee it has submitted a moratorium application to the state and presented a GIS audit of town‑owned parcels, narrowing 324 holdings to a short list of candidate sites (including the former DuPont property and several Barberry/Mill Hill parcels) for potential affordable housing conversion.
Town planning staff reported on two parallel efforts on Wednesday: the town’s moratorium application filed with the state and a detailed inventory of town‑owned parcels that could be candidates for future affordable housing projects.
Moratorium application: Staff said the town has submitted its application for moratorium consideration to the state; if the submission is found complete, the state has 90 days to review and the town’s point accounting toward a second moratorium would be resolved on that schedule (staff estimated a March review completion if the file is complete). The moratorium discussion included how pipeline projects and points are tracked and which projects are most likely to be built in the near term.
Inventory of town‑owned parcels: Mark Barnhart walked the committee through a GIS‑based review of approximately 324 town‑owned parcels. His methodology applied successive filters — flood zones, designated open space, parcel size, existing structures and zoning district — and reduced the set to about seven parcels that appeared promising for more detailed study. He highlighted a top‑10 list that included state‑owned parcels by the Merritt Parkway, the DuPont property near the train station, a Burrows Road parcel, sites near Hillandale, and an 11‑acre former seminary campus near Barberry Road/Mill Hill with sewer and water access.
Constraints and opportunities: Barnhart emphasized many parcels are small, oddly shaped, landlocked or in protected open space; wetlands and zoning (A/AA/AAA districts) frequently ruled out multifamily builds without regulatory changes. He recommended follow‑up research (titles, appraisals, field checks), drone flyovers for site reconnaissance and exploration of non‑town parcels owned by nonprofits or religious organizations that might be suitable for conversion.
Why it matters: The moratorium filing is a procedural step that, if approved, affects what applications the town must process and when; the land inventory is an early step toward identifying municipally owned sites that could host affordable units without purchasing private property.
Next steps: Staff will circulate the appendix and parcel list, pursue drone reconnaissance and further vet shortlisted properties. Committee members asked staff to research possible non‑town parcels and legal options for conversions of religious or nonprofit properties.
