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Date: 9/20/2023
BELCHERTOWN — The long awaited Carriage Grove project looked to finally be getting underway with a public hearing set for Sept. 12. However, residents will have to wait a little longer.
The redevelopment of the Belchertown State School, dubbed the Carriage Grove project by MassDevelopment, seeks to bring new mixed-use developments to the former site of the state school.
The project is expected to consist of five phases with phase one creating a 108 unit, multi-family complex and to reuse the two existing administration buildings.
The former Belchertown State School Administration Buildings are proposed to be redeveloped into a community center, museum, cultural space, meeting space and either a restaurant, brewery or distillery.
The Planning Board room was filled with residents who wanted to see a presentation about phase one of the project and ask questions or voice concerns.
Planning Board member Justin Rosienski broke the news that Brisa Development LLC informed the board only the day prior that they need to reschedule the public hearing for Tuesday, Oct. 24.
Members in the crowd began to voice their concerns for phase one of the project but the Planning Board said this project is out of their control and they do not know all the details.
This project will help Belchertown reach the minimum 10% requirement for affordable housing which means under Chapter 40B laws, the project can be built no matter what they town says.
Chapter 40B, the state’s affordable housing law, allows developers to override local zoning bylaws if their projects would increase the number of affordable housing units in cities and towns where less than 10% of the housing is affordable as defined by the state..
According to Rosienski, the town is currently at 6% and the completion of this project would bring it to approximately 8%.
“The closer that we get to 10%, the easier it is for us to deny projects like this,” Rosienski added.
Planning Board Chair Daniel Beaudette added, “This property is owned and controlled by the EDIC which is a quasi-corporation and its an independent corporation, but it’s controlled by the town because the town appoints the Board of Directors. The town management is in control of the corporation that is controlling how this property is being developed, and EDIC is working with the state and the state is working with the contractors.”
He continued, “The one that is in control of this property, deciding how it’s going to be developed and who is going to be developing it is the EDIC, not the Planning Board. We just approve whether the plan fits within the zoning scheme that is available for the town.”
Following the Belchertown State School closure in 1992, the Belchertown EDIC purchased the Carriage Grove site from the state.
In 2012, MassDevelopment joined the town of Belchertown and the EDIC to act as the EDIC’s agent and to help to create a development vision and pre-permitted master plan for the site.
Town Planner Doug Albertson added that phase one of the project is available at belchertown.org/planning and people should make sure the view the plan before the public hearing.