by Frank Schroth

The Selectmen have received notice from Department of Housing and Community Development (DCHD) that their Housing Production Plan has been approved. This brings the town one step closer to being able to rebuff unwanted 40B proposals. The effective date is October 22, 2014.

The town now has to document that it will have 48 units of affordable housing on the rolls. The town has 7 units that have yet to be added (2 at 36 Central Ave and 5 on Wolcott Road).

Senator Joyce has been in discussions to have units at Fuller Village counted toward the inventory.

Developers seeking to construct 40B will still be able to submit proposals until the town has its filing of 48 units to DCHD accepted according to Bill Clark, Planning Director.

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The Board of Selectmen met last night and voted unanimously to accept the sole demolition bid for removal of the Hendries building. The selectmen had decided to defer the acceptance pending a peer review of the bid. That was done and the bid was deemed to be reasonable. The contractor, Regional Industrial Services Corporation, is the same one that has been hired by Carrick Realty Trust. Their initial bid was for ~$347,000. That has been reduced to ~$317,225.

Acceptance of the bid is subject to funding. The town had approved $250K for the project. The Selectmen also added demolition and removal of the underground foundation with an added value of $5,500 which Selectmen have the exclusive right to exercise prior to completion of the work. That task have been negotiated out as a means of reducing the cost of the bid. They can also exit the contract if an agreement is reached with Carrick to take down the entire structure.

Currently they have a contract with Carrick to jointly remove the building by November 30th. It is unclear whether that date will be met as the Conservation Commission approvals are needed and a time to close the MBTA and run alternate service needs to be scheduled.