Natick Affordable Housing Trust reviews Bacon Street sale, Article 97 swap and a single-application plan at annual retreat

Chair Ganesh Ramachandran called the Natick Affordable Housing Trust’s annual retreat to order at 9:23 a.m. on Jan. 24, 2025, at Mass Audubon’s Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick.

Trust members spent the retreat reviewing subcommittee work and setting near-term and 2026 priorities. The Bacon Street subcommittee reported that 299/301 Bacon Street is currently fully occupied and that the Trust is awaiting a response from Family Promise MetroWest on an offer that would include seller financing; the subcommittee said completing a sale in 2026 would free up capital for other affordable-housing initiatives. The subcommittee set a 90-day goal to determine the viability of the Family Promise option and noted that a market-rate sale without an affordable restriction remains an alternate path if the Family Promise transaction does not proceed.

The Housing for All subcommittee described efforts to create a single application process intended to route applicants to one of three partner organizations — the Natick Service Council, MetroWest Family Promise, or the Council on Aging — using shared approval criteria. A Community Preservation Committee (CPC) grant is expected soon; Trust members said the grant funds will be held by the Town of Natick in the Trust’s account and distributed to partner organizations as approvals are made. The subcommittee’s 90-day goal is to finalize administrative criteria, make the application operational, and notify current clients of the partner organizations.

Members also reviewed outreach plans, including a workshop exercise to produce clear talking points about the Trust’s mission, exploration of using associate members and an intern to expand outreach capacity, and planning for an in-person panel on affordable dwelling units (ADUs) that would include builders, planners, architects and a financing resource such as MassHousing.

The Trust discussed the Wilson Gardens project as contingent on a proposed Article 97 land swap with the Johnson School site that would enable development of affordable housing for veterans. Trust members said the project appears feasible but depends on a broader town initiative and buy-in from multiple town boards, including Parks & Recreation, the Historic Commission and the Conservation Commission. Trust member Randy Johnson said he would contact OB Hill to review prior boundary surveys and obtain a cost estimate for the survey work.

During the retreat the Trust recorded Vote #1; the transcript does not specify the motion text. Patrick Cavanagh is listed as the mover and Kim Chagnon as the seconder. A roll call recorded eight members voting yes and three members absent, and the outcome was recorded as approved. The record does not specify additional details about the motion’s subject.

The Trust set several goals for 2026, including selling 299/301 Bacon Street to establish uses for the proceeds, preparing a new five-year budget forecast, updating the Trust website, and holding quarterly in-person meetings. The retreat adjourned at 12:46 p.m.

Next steps identified by the Trust include: confirming Family Promise MetroWest’s interest in the Bacon Street purchase within the next 90 days; finalizing the single-application program administration and participation agreements; and advancing outreach planning and stakeholder engagement for the Wilson Gardens/Article 97 concept.