Town To Pay For Attempted Block Of Affordable Housing Development

SUDBURY, MA—A judge ordered that Sudbury pay more than $75,000 in lawyer fees after it tried to stop the building of a housing unit that would have a percentage of those units as affordable housing, according to reports.

Land Court Judge Howard Speiche called the town's claims "wholly insubstantial and frivolous" regarding the October decision to dismiss the town's case, reports MassLive.

The case is related to a piece of land once owned by the town that was sold to a family who then sold it to developers Sudbury Station.

In December of 2015, MassHousing, the state's affordable housing agency, granted approval to the develop the Villages at Sudbury Station. The development was been met with opposition, but cleared the first step in the permitting process.

The letter stated that developer Chris Claussen's affordable housing development for Peter's Way is eligible, and permits the development because of affordable housing laws related to zoning. Sudbury's selectmen had opposed the development, citing traffic as the main complaint.

The town's lawyers in the claim that was recently dismissed argued that it was implied that there was a deed restriction that limited the plot to single-family homes only, reports MetroWest Daily News.

The town plans an appeal on Dec. 18 on the ruling, and will appeal the dismissal decision, as well.

As of FY2018, Sudbury had 608 affordable housing units in town, announcing recently it has attained the 10 percent affordable housing threshold needed to hit to be in a "safe harbor."

Being in a "safe harbor" means an ability to be approved for future comprehensive permit applications. The town hit the threshold thanks to an additional 250 affordable units created by Avalon Properties in FY2018, pulling the percentage from 9.81 percent to 10.19 percent.

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