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Housing committee lays out migration of 2018 plan items to Town Plan 2026; discusses density‑bonus and infrastructure constraints
Summary
Richmond's Housing Committee reviewed 2018 Town Plan housing actions, proposed taking ownership of select items for the 2026 update, and discussed zoning tools (townwide density bonus/inclusionary approach), CCRPC advice on NDAs, and infrastructure limits such as water and sewer expansion.
The Richmond Housing Committee spent much of its Jan. 22 meeting reviewing items from the 2018 Town Plan and identifying which housing actions the committee should formally 'own' for inclusion in the 2026 Town Plan update. Committee lead Mark walked members through a consolidated list of housing action items (H1–H4) and asked members to provide comments in the shared Town Plan 2026 document by the end of January.
Members discussed specific policy tools. Virginia overviewed a proposed density bonus scheme — described as a voluntary, townwide approach that allows extra units in exchange for affordable housing — which committee members characterized as a preliminary step toward inclusionary zoning. "We're offering a density bonus scheme which allows you to add density by way of providing affordable housing," Virginia said, adding the measure is intended to apply beyond a single development area.
The committee also reviewed CCRPC feedback that a Neighborhood Development Area (NDA) might be less useful under recent state mapping changes; members said CCRPC will return with more information. Keith and others highlighted the practical limits that infrastructure places on development: extending water and sewer will require coordination with the Water and Sewer Commission and the Select Board and could limit where new housing can be built.
Longer‑term planning items included modernizing Richmond’s zoning regulations (a multi‑year effort that committee members called "Herculean"), potential height increases for qualifying affordable projects under state rules, and the possibility of seeking modernization grants — recognizing such grants generally require local match funding the Select Board may be reluctant to approve.
No formal votes were taken. The committee assigned homework to refine the 2018 goal comments in the shared document, to identify which actions the housing committee will own going forward, and to continue coordinating with the Planning Commission and CCRPC. Members tentatively targeted meeting dates in February (Feb. 18 or Feb. 26) to continue the work.
