DANVERS — The New England Homes for the Deaf got a stamp of approval Monday night for a new affordable housing project for deaf, deaf/blind and near deaf people over 55.
The Danvers Zoning Board of Appeals approved the project in a 4-1 vote after developers brought down the proposed building’s height from four to three stories, cutting back the number of units from 140 to 120.
This building would sit at the back of the Homes for the Deaf’s 154 Water St. property. Under the latest design, the height has been reduced from 49 feet to 37 feet and has 15% fewer units than what was originally proposed, said attorney Nancy McCann, who is representing the developers.
Of the new number of units, 50% would be considered affordable with not less than 13% of those units being reserved for qualifying residents with an income level of 30% or less than the area median income, McCann said Monday. She added that 25% of these units will be affordable in perpetuity and 25% will be affordable for a term of 40 years.
All 120 units will count toward the town’s affordable housing stock.
Developers would prioritize filling the units with tenants who are deaf, deaf and blind or near deaf and 55 or older, and if they can’t find enough of those residents, Danvers seniors.
The project still required a height variance since it remained over 30 feet tall, which is what zoning in the neighborhood caps developments at. The ZBA approved this variance along with a special permit to build on the site.
“I’ve been on this board I don’t even know how long, and to see this amount of conditions put with this project, it’s almost unprecedented to me…,” ZBA Chair John Boughner said. “I think you did a lot of work to consider the landscaping, the height reduction and the unit reduction.”
ZBA member Corinne Doherty was the sole vote against the project, citing that it was still too tall and should be reduced to two stories.
McCann said developers could not reduce its height any further. If the building was not allowed to have at least three stories, developers would only be able to build two-story townhouses with multiple roadways connecting them, which is not feasible for the deaf and blind community, she said.
“This type of layout doesn’t work for the New England Homes for the Deaf residents, and it also doesn’t work for affordable housing,” she said. “Where these are two stories for deaf and deaf/blind folks, you’re looking at putting an elevator in each of the units. You’re not going to be able to do that for an affordable housing development.”
ZBA member Jeffrey Sauer originally voted against the project Monday night. He argued that while he was in favor of the development, it would go against a 1980 Town Meeting vote that turned the neighborhood from Residential 1 zoning into Residential 2, which does not permit new multifamily housing by right.
He suggested that this matter should go before Town Meeting as a result.
“What Town Meeting was trying to do was prevent large multifamily development in this district,” Sauer said Monday. “I don’t think that an appointed five-person board who is not responsible to the electorate of Danvers should overturn that decision.”
But with a supermajority vote needed for the project to be approved and Doherty not budging on her opposition, Sauer changed his vote following a plea from McCann to push the project through as is.
The Danvers Affordable Housing Trust has supported the project since it initially went before the ZBA in March. Some neighbors spoke against the project Monday, saying it will negatively impact traffic in the area and that it is still too large.
Abutter Sandy Lane has met regularly with developers on behalf of the neighborhood, she said Monday. She helped persuade developers to lower the height of the building and implement a number of conditions on behalf of the Jacobs Landing and Jacobs Avenue residents, she added.
This includes reducing the height and building out a new curb cut on Water Street before construction on the building starts. That way, construction vehicles do not have to drive on Jacobs Avenue or Jacobs Landing.
There will be no access from Jacobs Avenue or Jacobs Landing to the site, parking on Jacobs Landing will not be permitted by the development’s residents or guests, outdoor audio systems will not be allowed and the building’s HVAC will be on its roof and screened in, McCann said. Outside lighting will also be shielded and deflected from neighbors.
Developers have agreed to meet with neighbors quarterly during the project and send out newsletters with updates to those who request them, Lane added.
Jacobs Landing resident Chris Farrin argued that neither Lane or another neighborhood representative had approached him or two of his neighbors closest to the development. While he remained against the project, Lane said the changes developers have made largely satisfy neighbors’ concerns.
“I was very much originally against this project,” Lane said. “But all of these concessions have been made and everything we suggested has been taken care of.”
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolineEnos.