'Palmer Pointe' Master-Plan Hearing Tonight

The first of two separate public hearings on the master plan of the “Palmer Pointe” affordable housing development proposed for the Sowams Nursery site in Barrington will be held tonight.

The hearing will start at 7 pm in the Barrington library auditorium in anticipation of a large turnout. The Planning Board has scheduled the hearing. 

All abutters, in particular, should have received certified letters from the Planning Board inviting them to the hearing, according to Phil Hervey, town planner. 

The two hearings have been scheduled because the Planning Board believes that one will not be sufficient to handle the turnout -- especially from the citizens’ group, CODDER 02806, which has been circulating a petition against the development and which has been posting almost daily blogs on Patch about myths versus facts of the development.

The second hearing is scheduled for Thursday, May 30, in the Council Chamber in Town Hall. The auditorium was not available.

Palmer Pointe is proposed as a 48-unit affordable housing development made up of 12 1-bedroom, 23 2-bedroom and 13 3-bedroom units grouped on the western side of the nursery site. 

The master plan for the project -- the first significant step -- was filed several weeks ago with the town planner. 

The project already has been given wide public exposure at several other hearings or meetings.  The master plan got its first official look at a Technical Review Committee meeting on April 4.

That meeting in Town Hall was open to the public, but no public comment was taken.