M.G.L. Chapter 40B
LDS is or has worked on M.G.L. Chapter 40B Project Eligibility Applications, Zoning Board of Appeals Application and Rent Comp Studies:
- Scituate, MA 268 unit rental – Drafting PEL
- Oak Bluffs, MA 41 unit rental – rent comp study 1/2020
- Wellesley, MA 17 unit rental, Comprehensive Permit Granted January 2020
- West Bridgewater, MA 24 unit rental, PEL submitted to MassHousing 1/2020
- Norton, MA 60 unit rental, PEL submitted to MassHousing 1/2020
- Sherborn, MA 60 unit rental, 28 unit Ownership, PEL submitted to MassHousing 11/2020
- Brewster, MA 60 unit rental, rent comp and financial analysis 10/2019
- Dartmouth, MA, 300 unit rental, LDS is technical consultant to the ZBA and also provided board training
- Gloucester, MA 9 unit rental housing adaptive reuse, LIP. Comprehensive permit granted 2018, under construction
Housing Production Plans
LDS has provided housing productions plans to: Towns of Danvers, Duxbury, Georgetown and Natick, which requires approval by both the planning board and Board of Selectman, as well as DHCD. Most of our plans have been approved in record town with minimal and/or no amendments.
40B Fiscal Impact Consultant to the Gutierrez Companies, Westford MA
Proposed 282 rental apartments off of Littleton Road and Concord Road. To provide the Town of Westford with an understanding of the Project’s long-term impacts on the local tax base, LDS provided a fiscal impact analysis study. This involved identifying key fiscal characteristics of the proposed project and estimating the project’s annual fiscal benefit and financial impacts on municipal services. This resulted in white paper from LDS on how to approach fiscal impact studies.
Riverwalk Lawrence Master Plan Market Study 2017/2018
LDS prepared a report in connection with Lupoli’s ongoing master planning efforts for Riverwalk Properties. The purpose of our research was to provide a demand study for potential uses in Building E at 250 Merrimack Street, as well as potential retail and community uses at the site. Our goal was to provide conclusions and recommendations that will serve to further guide Lupoli’s master planning efforts, to increase parking and real estate uses on the campus, and to continue to transform the Riverwalk Properties into a vibrant destination place.The information in this study was compiled by reviewing the proposed master plan and programming of the site, conducting stakeholder interviews, reviewing and analyzing demographic information.In addition, we developed and administered two surveys for Riverwalk residents and commercial tenants on Survey Monkey. Our goals for both surveys was to survey their preferences for additional retail, community amenities, and housing choice. Additionally, for the resident survey, we sought to gain a better understanding of where residents at Riverwalk Lofts and Riverwalk West work, and for the Riverwalk employee/employer survey, we sought to understand the demographic makeup of the commercial tenants.For our commercial demand study, we examined existing and planned commercial properties and supply and assessed demand for the following commercial property types including retail, office and hospitality.
Whittier Housing Redevelopment, Roxbury, MA
LDS provided a comprehensive market analysis to Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc. (POAH) in connection with its application to HUD for its Choice Neighborhoods funding application on June 2016. The redevelopment consists of demolishing the 200-unit Whittier Street Boston Housing Authority public housing development at 1156 Tremont Street in Roxbury and replacing it with 320 units of mixed-income housing. LDS rovided a competitive analysis pertaining to the rental rates for 62 units of workforce rental housing priced at 60%-120% of AMI and 50 market rate rental units as well as the sale prices for 20 stacked three and four-bedroom townhouse homeownership units. Of the 20 homeownership units, 10 will be income restricted between 60% and 120% of AMI and 10 will be priced at market.
Veterans’ Housing Study
LDS was hired by Caritas Communities to provide information to help the nonprofit organization make strategic decisions with regard to the adaptive re-use of an existing building into housing for veterans. As part of its services, Lynne Sweet oversaw two research associates who contacted over 40 strategically identified communities within the Route 128 area about the types of housing and services available to veterans. In addition, LDS spoke to state agencies involved with providing housing and services to veterans in Massachusetts. LDS’ goal was to quantify the supply of housing for homeless veterans, low income veterans, families of veterans and individual veterans and determine what type of housing was needed. LDS also examined several funding sources for veterans housing. The results were very compelling since there was little if any permanent housing for veterans and what was available, was for single person households. The reality is that many families that include veterans are seeking housing. The preference in public housing for veterans is so far down the list there is little actually available to these households and there is no other choices at this point and time for permanent rental housing.