Concord Voters Can Conserve Land for Affordable Housing and Open Space

During the 2022 Concord Town Meeting, which starts May 1, residents will have a chance to approve the purchase of a 7-acre property along the Assabet River in West Concord through two articles. If the measures pass, 1 acre of the land will be available for affordable housing, and the remaining 6 acres will be conserved as open space for public enjoyment.

The wooded property, called Assabet River Bluff, is located along Old Marlboro Road and Upland Road, not far from the West Concord Train Depot. It abuts the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and overlooks a bend in the river.

The landowners have given the Town the chance to purchase this land until July 29. If the Town fails to act on this opportunity, the land will be sold to a private developer.

The effort is being spearheaded by a coalition of local organizations, including the Concord Land Conservation Trust (CLCT), Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT), the Concord Housing Development Corporation (CHDC), and the Town of Concord Department of Planning and Land Management (DPLM). The Concord Municipal Affordable Housing Trust and the Concord Housing Foundation are also financially supporting the project.

The one-acre portion that is to be purchased for affordable housing purposes includes an existing two-family home. If the effort to purchase the land is successful, CHDC plans to construct three additional units of housing for a total of five permanently affordable homes.

“Assabet River Bluff is recognized for its ecological values, climate benefits, cultural history, and recreational opportunities,” said Polly Reeve of CLCT. “By protecting this land, we will ensure it provides these benefits for generations to come.”

“This is a unique opportunity to bring conservation interests and affordable housing interests together to prevent maximization of market rate housing development on the site and to create five new affordable housing units in support of the Town’s open space and affordable housing goals. With this initiative, Concord is already being viewed as a model for other communities in the Commonwealth,” said Lee Smith, Chair of the CHDC.

Article 26, found in the Annual Town Meeting Warrant, asks voters to set aside $1 million of Community Preservation Act funds (CPA) toward the $2.8 million purchase price. Additional funds will come from the Concord Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Concord Housing Foundation, and a fundraising campaign launched by CLCT and SVT that has already raised over $900,000. The Town has also applied for grants that, if awarded, will help to offset the purchase price.

Article 25 will provide initial funding toward the purchase of the property, which will be reimbursed to the Town if the grant is awarded, because grant funds will not be available until December 2022.

“This collaborative effort to achieve two Town goals has been a valuable experience,” said Marcia Rasmussen, Concord’s Director of Planning and Land Management. “These seven acres have long been identified as a priority for protection in both the Concord Open Space and Recreation Plan and Housing Production Plan.”

Christa Collins, SVT’s Director of Land Protection who is also a Concord resident, added, “This is a rare chance to protect some woodland in the West Concord Village Center, where it will benefit so many. We urge Concord residents to vote Yes on Articles 25 and 26 in support of the purchase.”

To help Concord residents learn more about the conservation effort, CLCT and SVT are hosting public walks across the Assabet River Bluff property on April 22 and 24. Walk leaders will discuss the ecological significance of the property and will describe some of the wildlife species that find habitat on the land. Full details about the walks and the conservation effort are available at www.svtweb.org/ARB.