Town of Deerfield Housing Production Plan Effective March 24, 2014 – March 23, 2019 Prepared by: The Deerfield Planning Board Housing Subcommittee and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments This project was funded by a Direct Local Technical Assistance Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development [This page intentionally blank] Deerfield Housing Production Plan Contents 1. Introduction...................................................................................................................................1 Purpose of a Housing Production Plan .....................................................................................................1 Planning Process and Public Participation................................................................................................1 Local, Regional, and State Housing Context .............................................................................................2 2. Comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment....................................................................................7 Community Demographics .......................................................................................................................7 Current Housing Characteristics and Trends ..........................................................................................18 Analysis of Current and Projected Housing Needs .................................................................................37 3. Development Conditions and Constraints: Opportunities and Challenges ......................................39 Housing and Sustainability......................................................................................................................39 Open Space and Natural Resources........................................................................................................43 Zoning Regulations..................................................................................................................................49 Brownfields .............................................................................................................................................59 Infrastructure Capacity ...........................................................................................................................60 Local Capacity for Affordable Housing Development.............................................................................70 4. Housing Goals ..............................................................................................................................72 Mix of Housing Types..............................................................................................................................72 Areas in Town to Target Housing Development and Rehabilitation ......................................................74 Affordable Housing Production Goal......................................................................................................80 5. Implementation Strategies ...........................................................................................................82 Zoning Changes.......................................................................................................................................82 Identification of Specific Sites for Affordable Housing Development ....................................................86 Strategies to Build Local Capacity for Affordable and Community Housing Development....................89 Strategies for Investing in the Existing Housing and Building Stock for Affordable Housing Development...........................................................................................................................................90 Strategies to Mitigate Development Constraints in Housing Target Areas............................................92 Strategies to Support Livability and Sustainable Housing Development................................................93 Participation in Regional Collaborations.................................................................................................95 Available Housing Resources and Programs.........................................................................................100 i Deerfield Housing Production Plan Appendices....................................................................................................................................105 Appendix A: DHCD Submittal Cover Letter, Selectboard Letter, and DHCD Approval Letter...............106 Appendix B: Meeting Agendas and Sign-in Sheets ...............................................................................109 Appendix C: Publicity ............................................................................................................................125 Appendix D: Results of the Community Workshop ..............................................................................129 Appendix E: Community Housing Specialist Scope of Services: Supporting the Towns of West Boylston, Boylston, and Sterling ...........................................................................................................................140 ii Deerfield Housing Production Plan 1. Introduction Purpose of a Housing Production Plan A Housing Production Plan is a planning document that identifies the housing needs of a community and the strategies it will use to make progress in facilitating the development of affordable housing. The plan provides information on trends in Deerfield relating to the people who live here, the types of housing in town, and the current development conditions in town, to determine the housing needs of the community. The collection and analysis of this information, along with an extensive public process, lead to the development of housing goals for Deerfield’s future. These goals outline the types of housing desired in town in the future, where new housing should be located, and what this new development should look like. Finally, the plan includes implementation strategies that the town can pursue to make these goals a reality. On a broader level, this plan seeks to develop a vision that will help shape the future of Deerfield. Will long-time residents be able to stay in town as they age? Will children who grew up in town be able to return to Deerfield to work and raise a family? Will people who are employed in Deerfield have the ability to live in town? Will young people be attracted to Deerfield to work in its industries or start a business of their own? These are the types of questions community members have been challenged to address during the development of this plan. Planning Process and Public Participation The development of this plan began in the spring of 2013. The Deerfield Planning Board was tasked with leading the development of the plan. After several Planning Board meetings to discuss the project, a public stakeholder meeting was held to present the project and initial demographic and housing data to the community. After the stakeholder meeting, the Planning Board formed a Housing Subcommittee to continue the work of developing the plan with FRCOG staff. The Subcommittee included members of the Planning Board, the Community Preservation Committee, the Director of the South County Senior Center, and representatives from the Council on Aging, the Franklin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and community members. On September 18, staff from FRCOG and the Franklin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, along with members of the Housing Subcommittee, lead a lunchtime discussion at the South County Senior Center in South Deerfield. The discussion revolved around the senior housing needs in the community. Attendees at the lunch were also encouraged to attend the community workshop in October. On October 22, 2013, a community workshop was held to facilitate a discussion on future housing in town. Seventeen people participated in the workshop, which included a presentation of housing needs in the community, development conditions, and a mapping exercise that challenged participants to 1 Deerfield Housing Production Plan Top: Participants at the October 22, 2013 community workshop place new housing units on a map of Deerfield. Bottom: An example of housing types placed on a map of Deerfield at the community workshop. Green stickers designate senior housing; yellow stickers designate affordable housing. place 250 new housing units on a map of Deerfield to accommodate projected growth in the next 20 years. Results of the exercise showed how participants desire a greater mix of housing choices in Deerfield than the current housing trends would provide. These results were used, along with the data collected for the housing needs assessment, to develop the goals and implementation strategies for the plan. The final draft goals and objectives were presented at the December 2, 2013 Deerfield Planning Board meeting, which was filmed and made available on the community access television station. The Board voted unanimously to adopt the plan. The Selectboard voted to adopt the plan at their meeting on December 18, 2013. For the month of December the plan and an executive summary was made available on the front page of the Town website for public review. The final approved plan will be available as a hardcopy at the Town offices and at the Tilton Library in South Deerfield, as well as on the Town website. Appendix A includes publicity for the entire planning