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Architects present three-unit rental project on Goethe Road; power-line easement slowed permitting
Summary
Piercocks Architects presented a three-unit rental project at 97 Goethe Road that used local affordable-housing incentives (UDO §6.5). The design packs two units on one lot and one on the other, with units about 1,500 sq ft (three bedrooms, 2½ baths). A power-line easement limited unit count and created a delay while utility easements and approvals were clarified.
Amanda of Piercocks Architects presented details for a small, private affordable-rental project at 97 Goethe Road during the Dec. 5 Affordable Housing Committee meeting. She said the site is about 0.28 acres and, using UDO section 6.5 affordable-housing incentives, the developer was allowed a density adjustment that enabled two units on one lot and a third on a separate lot. "This project is gonna be on Goethe Road, 97 Goethe Road," Amanda told the committee.
Project details: Each unit is planned around 1,500 square feet, with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms in a simple, compact form suitable for the narrow lot. The accessory building on one parcel contains two bedrooms and two bathrooms in about 760 square feet. Amanda said the units will be rentals, not for sale — "They're gonna rent them," she said.
Constraints and timeline: Amanda said a power-line easement along the parcel prevented a fourth unit and required months of coordination with the utility and title review to clarify ownership of easements. She told the committee the permit set was submitted in October after nearly a year of work and that the project could be complete and occupied in roughly a year if utility easement and power issues are resolved.
Why it matters: The project illustrates how local UDO incentives can enable small infill affordable projects but also how technical constraints — particularly utility easements and access to power — can delay or limit yield on very small parcels.
Committee response: Members praised the simple design and town staff said the process went relatively smoothly despite the easement issues. Staff encouraged the applicant to submit building permits so review can proceed while easement issues are resolved.
Closing: Amanda said she was optimistic the project would move forward and hoped the town's experience with this parcel would make similar small infill projects easier to permit in the future.
