809 Sandwich Road 40B LIP Development
Proposed increase to 62 units raises density, traffic safety at DaCosta Circle, and questions whether age-restricted units match town housing needs.
A 40B LIP housing project at 809 Sandwich Road evolved from a 50-unit plan through a Select Board-approved shift to 36 rental units and then a ZBA presentation proposing 62 homeownership units. Residents raised density, traffic, and safety issues via a 166-signature petition while the board identified documentation and engineering shortfalls.
The 809 Sandwich Road 40B LIP Development issue centers on a proposed multi-unit affordable housing project under Massachusetts Chapter 40B rules, initially framed as a Local Initiative Program effort to add units beyond the minimum requirement.
On 2026-06-01 the Select Board reviewed and accepted a developer-requested change that shifted the project back to a rental model with 36 total units and 11 deed-restricted affordable units.
This acceptance set up further scrutiny at the Zoning Board of Appeals, where on 2026-06-11 the developer presented a revised plan increasing the project to 62 homeownership units, prompting the board to question the legality of the change without new notice to the subsidizing agency.
Public comment at the June 11 meeting introduced a petition signed by 166 residents highlighting traffic, safety, and density impacts, leading the board to direct a traffic expert to address the DaCosta Circle intersection at a future session.
Peer review findings presented that same evening identified technical deficiencies in water pressure, fire access, septic layout, and sidewalk compliance, which the board determined left insufficient information for a decision.
The board therefore voted to continue the hearing to July 16 to allow the developer time to supply updated documentation and address engineering concerns.
The ZBA hearing is continued to July 16 at 6:00 PM for the developer to supply confirmation from the subsidizing agency and more robust documentation.
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