Putney, VT – The Vermont Superior Court Environmental Division has once again rejected an appeal by opponents of the proposed housing community on Alice Holway Drive in Putney. The ruling by Superior Court Judge Thomas S. Durkin states that, “to find that the project is subject to Act 250 jurisdiction…merely because of the presence of a Class III road, would be an irrational and impermissibly strict reading of the statute that stymies the legislature’s intent to encourage mixed income housing in designated areas.”
The Judgement Order, issued on Thursday, granted Windham & Windsor Housing Trust’s motion for summary judgement in the case, and denied the summary judgement motion by the Appellants. This latest decision is the third ruling in a lengthy legal process that began in March 2022 when an appeal was filed contesting the permit and delaying progress of the 25-unit mixed income development.
“We are grateful to the Vermont Superior Court for reaffirming the importance of this project, and of affordable housing to this community,” said Elizabeth Bridgewater, Executive Director of Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT).
“We’re excited to focus on moving forward with developing much-needed affordable housing. We sincerely thank the community members who again and again voice their excitement for this project, and their understanding of the importance of creating homes that are permanently affordable and held in the community land trust model.”
According to Bridgewater, the delay in timing caused by the lengthy appeal process increased the cost of the project 14 percent, from $10.3 million to $11.7 million. Despite this increase, the proposal has received funding from both state and federal sources including Vermont Housing Finance Agency’s Tax Credit Allocation leveraging Public-Private-Partnership funding.
WWHT is working in partnership with Evernorth, a statewide nonprofit housing developer, on the Putney development, tapping into their decades of experience and access to equity investors in the federal tax credits. The two organizations have a successful history together in Putney, having co-developed the new townhouses on Neumann Lane as well as the historic Noyes House.
“This is a victory for the 25 households who will be able to move into their new homes in Putney,” said Kathy Beyer, Evernorth’s Senior Vice President for Real Estate Development. “We look forward to starting construction this spring.”
The Alice Holway Drive development is planned to be 2 new buildings that will provide 25 mixed-income, highly energy efficient and accessible apartments in Putney Village. The development will provide community space for residents and has been designed to not impact existing community gardens and the Putney Farmers’ Market. The proposed community meets smart-growth principles by creating more homes in the designated neighborhood development area, is immediately accessible to public transportation, connects with the walkable infrastructure of the town, and preserves the cherished community garden and farmers market while also providing homes at an accessible rent. Construction is scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2024.
For more information and updates about Alice Holway Drive, visit homemattershere.org/alice-holway-drive-info-page.
Windham & Windsor Housing is a mission-driven non-profit organization, established 35 years ago in response to increasing threats to the region’s supply of affordable housing. Their mission is to strengthen the communities of Southeast Vermont through development and stewardship of permanently affordable housing through ongoing support and advocacy for its residents. WWHT builds concrete solutions to the region’s housing challenges, and provides better housing opportunities to more than 1,500 Southeastern Vermonters each year.
Evernorth is a nonprofit organization serving the low and moderate income people of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont with affordable housing and community investments. Evernorth has raised and deployed over $1B in equity capital for affordable housing and built more than 16,000 affordable homes and apartments for low and moderate income people across northern New England. Learn more at www.evernorthUS.org.
