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Regional housing targets would assign Jamaica 39–56 units by 2030; board told targets are advisory
Summary
The regional commission presented town-by-town housing targets that would allocate 39–56 housing units to Jamaica by 2030 and up to ~120–235 by 2050; presenters stressed targets are advisory and towns retain control over zoning and infrastructure decisions.
Chris Davenley presented the regional disaggregation of statewide housing targets and said the Winter region’s 2030 target range is roughly 2,571–3,730 units, while Jamaica’s allocation in the draft was a 2030 lower limit of 39 and upper limit of 56. By 2050 the regional proposal shows a Jamaica range of about 120–235 units. “To reach that 2050 goal, that would mean approximately 5 to 8 new housing units per year,” Davenley said.
Davenley emphasized that the targets are a planning exercise and do not compel towns to build: “There’s no housing police,” he said. Board members asked whether town-owned parcels (including the recently closed village school) could be used to meet targets and whether financing, wastewater or grant eligibility would be required; Davenley replied that towns can pursue subdivision, wastewater or zoning tools to opt into higher-tier exemptions but are not forced to take those actions.
The board discussed pursuing grants and a highest-and-best-use study for the village school parcel, while residents pressed for clarity about where housing might be sited and how Tier 3 mapping could affect private landowners' permitting costs.
