Marblehead Warrant Article 36 has stimulated interest and questions about its impact on our town. A Google search provides an important description of the legislation objectives its application and the communities targeted on the state’s website:
“Program Description:
The Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP), established by M.G.L., Chapter 40V, provides Gateway Cities with a tool to develop market rate housing while increasing residential growth, expanding diversity of housing stock, supporting economic development, and promoting neighborhood stabilization in designated areas.
The program provides two tax incentives to developers to undertake new construction or substantial rehabilitation of properties for lease or sale as multi-unit market rate residential housing:
Eligible Applicants:
All Gateway Cities as defined by Chapter 23A section 3A, which are municipalities with:
Population greater than 35,000 and less than 250,000, median household income below the state average, and rate of educational attainment of a bachelor’s degree or above that is below the state average.”
Marblehead is a town, not a gateway city with a population just under 20,000. Marblehead’s median income and education attainment are certainly not below state average.
Conclusion: MA 3A multifamily housing legislation is not designed to impact Marblehead.
Marblehead Warrant Article 36 is unimportant and misleading.
The development maps in Warrant Article 36 are similar to maps presented in a Marblehead Planning Board report published last summer. It was prepared with the assistance of state advisors. The emphasis stated in that report was lower cost housing for Marbleheaders, retirees, and workers. A housing density of 15 per acre was mentioned. Warrant Article 36 increased the density to 20 and does not emphasize benefits to Marbleheaders.
Sincerely,
Anthony Chamay