Board Sets Forum on Sowams Housing

Expect to get answers to most of the questions you have about the proposed Sweetbriar-like affordable-housing development on Sowams Road in Barrington on Tuesday evening.

The Barrington Housing Board of Trustees is holding a public forum about the proposed development at Sowams Nursery as part of its agenda. The meeting starts at 7 pm in the Council Chamber in Town Hall.

Last month's meeting of the Housing Board drew almost 100 people to the Council Chamber. But just about everyone left without being able to ask questions because the meeting was not advertised as a public hearing and there was concern about the board violating the Open Meeting Law.

Steve Martin, chairman of the Housing Board, promised to schedule a public forum on the project at the May meeting.

At least two other public hearings also will be held on the development – one by the Barrington Planning Board and one by the developer – East Bay Community Development Corporation, said attorney Stephanie Federico of DeSisto Law Associates, which represents EBCDC.

A sketch of the project developed by Don Powers, the architect for EBCDC, was made public several weeks ago. But it was never intended to be the final plan, Power said at the April meeting.

“It was done to show the character of the project,” he said. “Public discussion is needed. We haven’t had input on it.”

The next sketch will be done in cooperation with all the stakeholders in the project, he said, including Barrington and the Coastal Resources Management Council.

What is known about the project is that approximately 56 units are proposed for the 9-acre site – all of them 100 percent affordable housing with rents ranging from $500 to $900, according to EBCDC. They will be open to any potential renter of any age.

EBCDC also is buying the property for $1.2 million from the owners of the nursery land, Joseph and Maria Silveria.

EBCDC Executive Director Kathy Bazinet describes the development as “very much like the Sweetbriar development" off of Washington Road in Bay Spring. See previous Patch story.

The developer does not expect to break ground for at least a year, probably longer. Completion is not expected until 2015.