9th, 2026 gardener planning board meeting is called to order. Uh starting off first item on the agenda, we have meeting minutes. We have regular meeting minutes from February 10th, March 10th, March 24th, and April 14th. Do we have a
motion to approve those sets of minutes? >> Make a motion we accept the minutes of the last meetings of uh those three months that you indicated. Second. A >> motion and a second. All in favor? >> I. >> Motion passes. Next up, we have public
hearings. Uh 0 Emerald Street, a request to modify the approved definitive site plan. Understand we received a request to withdraw without prejudice. >> Yes, we did receive a request from Steven to withdraw uh his request after it was uh withdrawn from the uh zoning
board of appeals. um without an avenue to move forward with them. There's no need for the item to stay within our uh board as well. So, you requested uh following our last meeting um to um
remove the item uh without prejudice. >> Do we have a motion to grant? >> So, I guess for the uh for the public out there, that means at this point they're no longer going forward with the project >> and they're still approved. the original
site plan that we had approved is still the approved project. So the amendment that this because it's a the request is to modify the approved site plans. So the amendment was for the relocation of some of the uh porches
>> and the extension on the front >> H >> and the extension on the frontage of the house which brought them within the minimum frontage requirement uh for that zoning area. um that was what was the basis of what brought them in front of
the ZBA and they were found um they there was a lot of discussion within within that board um before they decided to withdraw um without prejudice. So the approved site plan that we had approved originally is still
>> still holds is still valid. Uh, but the amendment is is is >> is not approved and will not be moving forward. >> I would have liked to see that hole filled up on Emerald Street.
>> So the so the the project is still able to move forward. So they still have the approval for the original plans. >> Yeah, I understand. >> Um, so I I don't know if that if the intention of the amended plans not being approved means that the plan the project
won't move forward. That's up for the applicant to decide how he wants to continue the project. Um, but as it stands, he has the ability to move forward with the uh original uh site plans that we had approved back in I think it was like October.
>> Yeah. >> Um, >> yep. Shame. >> Move on. >> So, we will have to close this this public hearing. >> I make a motion that we close the public hearing uh as presented. Okay.
>> Second. >> All right. All in favor? >> I >> I have a second motion to grant leave to withdraw without prejudice. >> Yes. I thought that was included in there. Sorry. >> All right. I misunderstood the the motion then. Um, moving on to other
business, we have housing production plan. Uh, final draft discussion. So, just to kind of introduce the the project very quickly, this um you know was shared uh periodically with with the
board and was most recently shared um early May uh for the board's review um of the housing production plan as it stands uh in its in its final form. The presentation in front of you is is basically a um highlight of of the plan
itself, but it does uh open up um the ability for for the the city to apply for uh additional grant funds that that could potentially be seen through um for alternative housing developments.
Um but I will uh let let Lily from Barrett Planning Group take it over from there in terms of seeing through Jason. Um yes, my name is Lily Kramer. I'm a community planner with Barrett Planning Group and we've been working with the city on both the master plan process
which um you recently adopted and the housing production plan. Um right, so like Jason said, it's sort of a strategy document that um can make the perfect case for certain brands and specific projects and help the town plan for affordable housing and diverse housing
um opportunities for residents. Um and so it includes three main components at housing needs assessment um affordable housing goals and implementation strategies to reach those goals. Um and for the plan to be sent to EOHLC for
review and approval, um it has to be adopted by both the planning board and city council. Um next slide is just sort of a reminder of the timeline. So we started this
project back in December um and have been um conducted some interviews with different organizations around gardener in the region um drafting the housing needs assessment earlier this year and now we're at June which um the planning board
presentation. Um we'll also be presenting to city the city council committee um on the 24th and um hopefully the final plan will be submitted um after those approvals. Um so some key findings from the needs
assessment. Gardner has an aging population that um is expected to decline. The housing stock is also aging with over half of residential structures built before 1960, which can introduce, you know, some um maintenance issues. We've heard from a number of people in
both the master planning process and this process about some older runout homes that might need more work to get units back online. Um there's a high percentage of renters in gardener h household incomes are lower compared to the county and the state levels.
Um and thus nearly a third of resident households are housing cost burdened which means they're spending more than 30% of their monthly income on housing costs. Um housing development has declined in the city in recent years um although
gardener is over the 10% threshold for safe harbor status um and has 13 a little over 1300 SHI units which is the most amongst its surrounding communities. Um some other key issues we've heard again affordability, the condition of housing stock, um the lack
of shelters and other temporary housing options can also be an issue because there's no real safety net um for residents who might really be struggling with housing costs. Um so the next couple slides are just a few graphics from the housing needs assessment to
kind of highlight these things. So, as you can see, the first chart um is the HUD metro area income limits, which um is used for incomerestricted housing. So, these are sort of the thresholds that are used to determine if a household is eligible. Um and so,
putting this in perspective, the median household income um for Gardner in 2024 from the census was around $69,000. Um so you know there's a number of households that would definitely qualify as low income in gardener probably um
even lower than that. Um the next chart shows median single family condominium sale prices kind of just illustrating that although they are lower um than the Worcester County averages they are you know have been steadily declining um in increasing sorry over the past several
years. Again, another graphic of housing stock. Um, almost half of houses, the housing stock in Garner was built prior to 1940. So, just older homes, which also depends, you know, are the character of Garner. It's historic city.
You know, it's not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely can introduce issues if people aren't able to keep up with the maintenance required on older homes. Um, this next chart shows the number of SHI units in Garner. Um, so as I was
saying, there's about 1,300. Um, and then the darker blue line shows um how these could decline if you know the number of SHI units could decline by 2055 if um those affordability
restrictions were not um renewed upon expiration. So just kind of showing anticipated SHI units based on expected expiration. Um, so just pointing out, you know, even though Gardner is over 10%, um, and typically
housing production plans are done, um, for communities that are below 10% to sort of get them that same harbor status without having SHI units. Um, there's always a chance units could fall off and, you know, obviously careful
maintenance and um, monitoring of those units is important to keep Garner over 10%. The comprehensive housing needs assessment also discusses barriers to affordable housing, not necessarily barriers as a negative connotation. There are certainly barriers like the
environmental constraints in gardener including open space and wetlands that we want to protect um but that do limit where affordable housing can be built or housing in general. Um there's also zoning and regulatory constraints. So, what does zoning allow? Um, and what are
maybe some changes that could be made to encourage affordable housing like that's being done with the housing um opportunity zones project. Um, also market constraints. We all know construction costs are rising. Um, it's getting more and more expensive to build. So, that's another constraint
barrier inhibiting um specifically affordable housing projects from um being built. Moving on to goals. So HPPS are required to set both quantitative and qualitative goals. Um though Garner is above 10%
EOHLC publishes every um year sort of 1% and um.5% goals for every community to meet. So those are the goals that we've added um into the plan. So that's 47 units per year for the.5% goal and 94
units per year for the 1% goal. um qualitative housing goals were based largely based off the master plan, what we heard in that process and also um what we heard from housing advocates and organizations from this process. So they include preserve and reuse existing
housing stock, encourage the redevelopment of significant sites, target communities with the greatest needs such as older adults, the homeless, um veterans, people with disabilities, families with children and extremely lowincome households, and also align municipal goals with local and
regional partners. Um and so I won't go through every strategy um on the next few slides, but these are um all the strategies that are in the plan. Um the italicized ones are ones
from the master plan are largely based off the master plan just to kind of provide that visual for you. Um kind of tying together all the city's planning efforts um thus far with housing. So, a number of zoning changes. Um, some of which the city is already working
towards. Um, again, trying to bring units that may exist but may not be online due to um, maintenance issues or something like that. Uh, with preserving and reusing existing housing stock that the city
already has. Um, kind of going along with that, development and redevelopment of significant sites. um building off what the city is doing with the mun well surplus property plan um implementing those recommendations looking at those specific sites identified in that
process um for housing targeting communities with the greatest need. Um we talked to a number of organizations working with veterans and the need for more veterans housing. So that's you know some of the strategies in there. um
kind of spreading the word as well about the work that the city's doing otherwise with you know encouraging AUS um maybe guide books to help people fix up multif family housing and stuff like that. Um and then finally working with local and regional partners. Um everyone we talked
to was definitely had worked with the city um or was interested in working more closely with the city. So, um there's definitely opportunities for, you know, the city to work more closely with different housing advocates and um organizations around town who are doing
and the region who are doing um this work with affordable housing um you know get developments built. So that was very quick but um just a run through run through of the housing production
plan and yeah that's my presentation. >> Thank you. >> Were there any comments or questions or potential amendments to the plan itself that the board had um on its review of
the housing production plan? >> I did not. >> I did not. No. Is anybody at home questions or comments? >> Well, I appreciate how this plan and the municipal surplus property plan, the city's master plan,
while it was a big undertaking to do all of them at the same time. And the good thing about doing that is that they all talk to each other and we can make sure that they all talk to each other and that we were providing the drafts and the information that we had from each plan to the other planning groups cuz they weren't all Barrett planning group
but happy we had you guys for both the housing production and master plan. Um but it really I think we had it we had this in front of finance earlier today uh for their initial subcommittee review and um they it really I think came to
fruition of like how these documents live and breathe together uh because there are they exemplify development in the city as as a whole. So they are meant to live and breathe and and be um evolutionary with with the city itself.
So um I'm happy that the city's already active towards working with uh some of the implementation strategies that that Lily and team have have presented here. Um and hopeful that we can continue um working towards those those strategies
and goals to improve housing development in the city uh moving forward. three. >> So, we're looking for a vote to adopt tonight. Yes. First planning board. >> Yes. >> Does anybody want to make that motion? >> Make a motion we adopt the uh
housing uh production plan and we move forward towards city council. Yes. Have a second. >> I'll second that. >> All right. All in favor? >> Motion passes. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Very nice job. I have a quick
thing to talk to you about for the date from the city council. Um, this last item should be pretty quick. >> No worries. >> So, next up we have the subdivision and OSRD Pearl Street subdivision. Jason, do you want to talk about that? >> Yeah. So, with the um subdivision and
open space uh residential development plan that was presented in front of us for the development on Pearl Street and 140. Um, the applicant is looking to come back in front of us with the open space residential development as as the the plan they are moving forward with,
not the subdivision that we gave the preliminary subdivision approval, okay, for um I know that it was pretty um we weren't really sure which plan they were they were moving forward with. We had approved the subdivision plan and the you know changes to the um be an
applicable uh plan for the OSRD. um given the amount of materials that we had received um and reviewed and had our um uh meeting on for the preliminary subdivision review that does meet the
requirements for the pre-application. There's quite a few pre-application materials um required before they can actually begin the application for the OSRD um permit. Um but the subdivision review that we had already pro proceeded
with more than uh meets those pre-application requirements uh given that we already also had reviewed the um the plans for the OSRD. So if the board um would like we can move forward with
with having them in front of us with the the open space residential development um as the plan they're looking to to move forward with. Um the only item that I guess for pre-application that hasn't been met based on our our uh review so
far is the site plan or not the site plan uh site visit. Uh so it does open up the opportunity for um the board to meet with the uh developer uh on the site of the parcel that they're looking to develop uh to review the current
status of the of the uh greenery and the open space. uh present on the site. I don't know if that was something that the board wanted to. It's not a requirement, but the option is is there. >> I was pretty comfortable with the plan that was presented uh at us at the
meeting. Personally, I don't think >> wasn't there a pond or something in that >> So, it it's the Yeah. So the the OSR both both plans actually um only encapsulate the area leading up to the wetland up to the wetlands. Yeah.
So, I know there was conversation originally when this plan was very high level conceptual whether they were going to do a wetlands crossing, whether that was possible because there is some usable land over on Matthew Street um or on the land abudding Matthew Street in 140 um that was since that had very
early on been been shot down by the the conservation commission um as it would require pretty significant wetlands crossing to be to be possible. So, um, as it stands, it's just the usable area abudding Pearl Street. Um,
and the OSRD does actually reduce the amount of, uh, total um, impervious surface with reducing the total length of the road by I think around like 110 120 ft um, in total.
>> There's only one question. And I think there's one area that u the road as it goes in was within 20 ft of the abuing property. The road on the road that's in the back. Uh >> uh Opal Lane. >> Opal Lane is
>> Yeah. Ruby Road that area. >> The the area back there. >> Um of whether the development or the the road >> the access road. I believe the road itself had to be moved because it was
impringing on wetland. So they were going to move it over to make the maximum to get in at that point. >> Yeah. So the that feedback was was I I they haven't come back to me with any if I if I had plans from them then I would have sent them over to the board. But um
that feedback was already relayed. I can double check with them that they were aware of that feedback um and make sure that that's going to be incorporated into the the both definit. So there's still the the subdivision review that we have to do for the development regardless. The OSRD just adds an
additional level of but they'll happen simultaneously. I want to make sure that's clear as well. So there will still be a full public uh hearing for the definitive site plan review um or the definitive subdivision review. Uh all butters will be notified uh and uh
the meeting will be advertised uh as needed and um there will be be mention of both uh this the permit for the OSRD and the public hearing happening uh within the same meeting uh within those notifications.
>> So you're looking tonight is >> this is moreformational informational to let you know that that that's forthcoming and that's their intention with with how their project is moving forward. Very good. >> I'm also fine with not doing the site visit if no one else. >> No need to do that.
>> Yeah. >> With that. >> All right. Do you need no vote, I'm assuming, on this tonight? >> So, announcements. Um, next meeting. We were talking about uh potentially quorum issues at the July 14th meeting um and
the possibility of doing a meeting on July 21st instead. >> Yeah. Is that something um you'd need us to take a vote on tonight since it's already scheduled or is that something staff? It's >> on my calendar already. So you're ready. >> The if if there is any public hearing
then the not again the notifications will go out of the actual date of of the of the of the meeting. But I guess with tonight's meeting so that the public watching the intent would be for our following meeting to be on Tuesday uh July 21st at 6:30 p.m. >> All right. Do you have any other
announcements, news, articles or events to discuss? >> I do not. >> All right. >> Oh, there is actually I should mention um the uh design meeting of the remaining uh section of the North
Central Pathway, the rail trail, um is going to be ver held virtually on the 16th at I believe 5:30. It's on the city calendar website. It's been posted around around the city in a number of ways and mass dot mass dot is is the one
hosting the meeting. So that's why it's being held virtually rather than in this room. But I just wanted to mention if any of the members of the planning board or members of the public watching want to attend um those the QR codes for those those meetings um are available um
on the city website and if they want to come get copies of the flyer uh they're available in my office uh director for the community development and planning department. >> 16th of June >> 16th of June I believe next Wednesday. >> I have it on my calendar I think. I'll
look on the city website. >> Um, let me just double check, make sure. >> Yeah, 6 o'clock. It looks like >> six o'clock. Yep. 6 o'clock on the 16th of June. Sorry, not 5:30. But that's that's it for events.
>> If there's nothing else, make a motion we second. All >> in favor? I I meeting is adjourned. Thank you.