Meetings Ahead
Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join.
Saturday, July 6
- Historical Commission site visit, 10 a.m., 146 Shore Road
Tuesday, July 9
- Select Board, 5 p.m., hybrid
Wednesday, July 10
- Council on Aging Board, 12:30 p.m., Council on Aging
- Planning Board, 5 p.m.
Conversation Starter
Cloverleaf Rearrangements
The zoning board of appeals unanimously found a proposed change in the tenant income levels in plans at the Cloverleaf development to be “insubstantial” at its June 24 meeting.
The new mix shifts the breakdown of the project’s 43 units to residents of slightly lower income levels. “These modifications are necessitated by a substantial increase in the cost of construction” and to meet requirements of the Mass. Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities under the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, according to attorney Peter Freeman of Freeman Law Group LLC’s letter to the ZBA.
The new affordability breakdown will reserve 35 units for those earning up to 80 percent of area median income (AMI), with six of those for people earning below 30 percent of AMI. In January, the board had approved 31 units for those ranges.
In addition, four units will be for people earning between 80 and 100 percent of AMI, and four will be rented at market rate.
The project change will also combine buildings to streamline construction costs. Rather than having 12 buildings, there will be 10.
ZBA vice chair Darrell Shedd said on June 24 that the proposed changes go “along with the spirit of our original approval,” adding “I believe that these modifications do qualify as insubstantial.”
Chair Chris Lucy read through the list of project changes that, per state regulations, would qualify as substantial — including significant increases in building height or the number of units.
“I don’t see anything here that shows it to be substantial,” said Lucy. “It’s just a rearrangement, same outcome, nothing of any significance.”
Developer Ted Malone of Community Housing Resource said shovels should be in the ground by this fall: “We expect to get to closing in October, maybe November,” he said. “Absolutely this is going to happen by the end of the year.” Construction is expected to last 18 to 20 months. —Sophie Mann-Shafir
