Alice Holway Drive Information Page

COURT RULING CLEARS WAY FOR PUTNEY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT TO MOVE FORWARD

 Putney, VT – The proposed housing community on Alice Holway Drive in Putney is cleared to move forward. That was the ruling from the Vermont Supreme Court on November 15, siding with Windham & Windsor Housing Trust and Evernorth, developers of the affordable housing project.

 The ruling by the state’s highest court affirms the Environmental Court’s decision earlier this year rejecting a third appeal that claimed the project was subject to an ACT 250 review.  It marks the final step in a lengthy legal process that began in March of 2022 when a first appeal was filed after the Putney Development Review Board approved the site plan.

 “We are so grateful to the Vermont Supreme Court for its swift ruling that this project is indeed exempt from an ACT 250 review and in doing so, paving the way for 25 new homes to be built in Putney,” said Elizabeth Bridgewater, Executive Director of Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT).  “We also appreciate the many Putney residents and project’s funders for their unwavering support.  These failed appeal attempts have delayed this project for too long and we are excited to break ground this spring.”

 In the planning stages since September of 2019, 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.

We will be planning to break ground in early spring. 

The fourth appeal continues through the legal process at the Vermont Supreme Court. The case will be heard by the full five-judge panel on October 22nd. The resolution will be announced following that hearing though we do not know the specific timeline- this could take a few more weeks. We look forward to this progress and remain optimistic about a positive resolution.

The fourth appeal continues through the legal process at the Vermont Supreme Court. The case will be heard by the full five-judge panel which is a slower legal process than the “rocket docket,” the three-judge panel of last year’s appeal at the Supreme Court. This has again delayed the timeline. However, we remain optimistic about a positive resolution and look forward to breaking ground following. The court date is not yet set.

The summary judgement from the Environmental Court has been appealed by the appellants to the Vermont Supreme Court. This is the 4th appeal on the Alice Holway Drive development and pushes our planned spring groundbreaking towards fall, given the typical schedule of the Supreme Court. 

The court released a judgement order reading:

For all the reasons stated in the Entry Order that accompanies this Judgement Order, we conclude that there is no genuine dispute of material fact that the Project proposed by the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) to construct a 25-unit mixed-income residential development in Putney, Vermont is to be located on “contiguous” parcels under the plain meaning of 10 V.S.A. Section 6001(35) and it is therefore exempt from Act 250 review as a priority housing project. Accordingly we grant WWHT’s motion for summary judgement and deny the summary judgement motion by appellants Laura Campbell and Deborah Lazar. 
This concludes the matter before the court.

We are exceptionally relieved to continue to move forward with this important work.

We are excited to announce that the Construction Manager ReArch has put the the project out to bid at the beginning of February. The is an exciting step in the development process. Although we continue to be in the appeal process regarding the Act 250 jurisdictional opinion, we are confident enough in our project plans to take this exciting step. 

They’ve put out a call for all trades including, but not limited to:

Concrete, masonry, steel/metals, carpentry, thermal, siding, roofing, windows/doors, drywall, flooring, painting, finishes, MEPF, Sitework, landscaping

For more information email ethanm@rearchcompany.com 

Bids accepted through February 22. 

We are excited to be using closed-loop ground source heat pumps for our heating and cooling. We are currently drilling a test well which will allow us to fine tune our design. This heating and cooling system will be environmentally friendly, comfortable, and fossil fuel free!

A 3rd appeal has been filed against the Alice Holway project. This appeal is on Act 250 Jurisdictional Opinion. 

We’ve closed on the parcel of land which has been under contract with the previous owners since 2019! The land is subdivided with the purpose of Green Commons becoming landowners for the area where the Market and Gardens are. They are actively fundraising!

Alice Holway Drive was awarded $500,000 through Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD)’s the Community Recovery and Revitalization (CRRP) grant program. This completes the budget! The public annoucement and full press release dated September 7th with full list of awards across the state can be viewed here.

The Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) Board of Commissioners announced last week that its annual award of federal housing tax credits will support the construction of 112 homes in perpetually affordable apartment buildings in four communities across the state including Putney. The sale of this year’s tax credits to investors is expected to yield over $28 million in funds covering an estimated 60 percent of total project development costs. This funding structure allows for about 60% of the construction budget to a public-private-partnership funding. Thank you VHFA!
Read the Vermont Business article here>>

We are disappointed to have received word that the appeal decision from the Environmental Court of WWHT’s zoning permit for the creation of a new housing community on Alice Holway Drive in Putney that dismissed the appellant’s case was appealed to the Vermont Supreme Court. In February, the Environmental Court Division found that our application was consistent with the town’s zoning bylaws and that the other issues raised by the appellant were either not in the jurisdiction of the court or lacked enough merit to take the case to trial.  The appeal was resolved by a summary judgement on all concerns raised by the appellant. This new appeal filed is against the Environmental Court’s decision. 

We have a strong commitment to this development as do our funders and community members. We sincerely thank the community members who again and again voice their excitement for this project, their understanding of the importance of creating homes that are permanently affordable and held in the community land trust model.

 Putney has a tremendous need for additional rental housing that people can afford.  While the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) only owns 12% of the rental homes there, available data indicates that of the 303 rental units in Putney, 90 households (or 30% of renters) are paying more than 50% of their income in rent.  This is well beyond what is considered affordable and puts significant pressure on families who are experiencing escalating costs in food prices, fuel and other household expenses.   

 The new community on Alice Holway Drive, co-developed by WWHT and Evernorth, will be home to 25 households and the rents will be set to meet needs of a variety of household incomes.  The buildings will operate at a high level of energy efficiency and the residents will have easy access to public transportation, green space, and the incredible amenities Putney has to offer, much within walking distance. This is the benefit of building within downtown areas and village setting in smart growth patterns.  The plans have not changed since they were submitted to the zoning review board in February of 2022.  We continue to maintain our commitment to preserving the Putney Community Gardens and Farmer’s Market and building a new community of well-designed affordable and energy efficient homes on the site.  With partial funding in place and the remaining funding applications completed, we are hopeful that we will be able to break ground early 2024 and welcome new residents in the winter of 2024/2025.

We were pleased to have received word that the appeal of WWHT’s zoning permit for the creation of a new housing community on Alice Holway Drive in Putney was resolved.  The Environmental Court Division found that our application was consistent with the town’s zoning bylaws and that the other issues raised by the appellant were either not in the jurisdiction of the court or lacked enough merit to take the case to trial.  The appeal was resolved by a summary judgement on all concerns raised by the appellant.   While the impact of the effort to appeal our permit has not diminished our commitment to this project, the delay in the timing has had an impact in the cost of the project.  Overall, the total project cost is 14% higher than it was a year ago with significant increases in the cost of construction, interest rates and legal fees.  The unfortunate impact in the community is that these funds could have been redirected to create more housing throughout Vermont.

 Putney has a tremendous need for additional rental housing that people can afford.  While the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) only owns 12% of the rental homes there, available data indicates that of the 303 rental units in Putney, 90 households (or 30% of renters) are paying more than 50% of their income in rent.  This is well beyond what is considered affordable and puts significant pressure on families who are experiencing escalating costs in food prices, fuel and other household expenses.   

 The new community on Alice Holway Drive, co-developed by WWHT and Evernorth, will be home to 25 households and the rents will be set to meet needs of a variety of household incomes.  The buildings will operate at a high level of energy efficiency and the residents will have easy access to public transportation, green space, and the incredible amenities Putney has to offer, much within walking distance. This is the benefit of building within downtown areas and village setting in smart growth patterns.  The plans have not changed since they were submitted to the zoning review board in February of 2022.  We continue to maintain our commitment to preserving the Putney Community Gardens and Farmer’s Market and building a new community of well-designed affordable and energy efficient homes on the site.  With partial funding in place and the remaining funding applications completed, we are hopeful that we will be able to break ground early 2024 and welcome new residents in the winter of 2024/2025.

On March 21, 2022 an appeal was filed from an Interested Party to contest the permit granted. The appeal process is a lengthy one in which the appealent files their suit, information and data is submitted by both parties, with responces in 30 day increments. Once the list of questions is finalized, all the supporting documentation is complied by the courts, the judge will review the case. As of January 2023, the case remains under review. We look forward to sharing updates when the process is complete but cannot comment specifically as it moves through due process.

On March 9, 2022, after the zoning review committee reviewed the Alice Holway applications for conformanace with zoning requirements, the committee found the project in alignment and approved the permit for the project to move foward. This is a critical step in development.

The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board has awarded $2,065,222 to the Alice Holway Project! 

The Housing Trust presnted at the following meetings:

Type of meeting: Select Board Date: 01/29/2020

Type of meeting: Planning Commission Date: 08/03/2020

Type of meeting: Public Info Session Date: 09/16/2020

Type of meeting: Planning Commission Date: 10/06/2020

Type of meeting: Planning Commission Date: 11/10/2020

Type of meeting: Select Board Date: 4/21/2021

Type of meeting: Select Board Date: 10/20/2021

Type of meeting: Planning Commission Date: 11/02/2021

Type of meeting: Public Info Session Date: 11/15/2021

Type of meeting: DRB Date: 2/15/2022

The development team gave a presentation of the project in December. A full recording is available here.

After being approached by members of the Putney community, Windham & Windsor Housing Trust has been exploring developing additional housing units in Putney. WWHT has site control of land south of Putney Village (3.94 acres, 6 lots with 3 of the lots on the south side of Alice Holway Drive and the other 3 to the north and east of Alice Holway) with the intention of developing 25 housing units.

This parcel of land has two long-time uses:

• The Putney Farmers’ Market has used the northern most portion of the land for a summer market with about 40 vendors for many years.
• The Putney Community Gardens has also used land in the northern portion of the site for many years. The Putney Community Garden supports growing of ornamental, edible and medicinal plants and has about 60 plots, a hoop house, soil amendment storage and other facilities to support the gardens and community.

 Shared Vision- Conceptual Design

In September of 2019 Stevens & Associates was selected by WWHT through a competitive process to complete preliminary architectural and site design pre-feasibility services, focusing on using a collaborative process to develop a preliminary, conceptual site design for the project. The project, as laid out, had three critical components of this process:

• Facilitate a series of meetings with stakeholders who have a current, existing interest in the site.
• Develop a number of conceptual site plan alternatives with the goal of finding a preferred conceptual site plan that depicts a scenario which: accommodates the housing program and suggests the character that development; addresses the needs of the other stakeholders; and if possible goes beyond meeting the needs to improve each groups situation and benefit from shared amenities.
• Incorporate an understanding of local and state permitting into the process to inform the conceptual site design process.

WWHT jointly presented this conceptual design (DATE) and the process of developing it to the Putney community in partnership with the newly founded group Green Commons of Vermont LLC, with members from the Farmer’s Market and Community Gardens. This conceptual designed confirmed that the tree land uses- Putney Community Gardens, Farmers Market, and Housing- can be supported on this site.

Creating The Design:

WWHT has contracted with Vermont Integrated Architecture to complete site design work with a strong focus on creating a sense of place and belonging, sustainability, and energy efficiency. WWHT, Evernorth, with Green Commons reviewed design options presented by VIA. With disappointment, we learned that the southern portion of the parcel was undevelopable due to soil type- though the silver lining was that the Putney Meadows Garden is undistrubed. The options where to build one larger building directly across from the coop (where the farmers market plot is), or two buildings on the sounthern end of the parcel which was the design we moved forward with. Both buildings will have a number of units with private or common ground-floor entries, providing a range of accessible options which are currently few and far between in Putney. The building will also be built with universal design elements to allow older or less mobile residents to age in place. The Holway Drive buildings will also include multi-use community space for meetings, events, and service staff. 

The Windham & Windsor Housing Trust is a board driven community land trust and has been offering housing solutions from rental development to homeownership support in Southeastern Vermont for 35 years. Here’s a look at what we do:

Development: In Putney, we redeveloped two historic properties- Noyes House, Laura Plantz House- we developed the new constuction Putney Landing. All of these properties are mixed income and intergenerational. This accounts for 12% of the rental housing stock in town. We manage the Locust Hill mobile home park which the homes are all individually owned and our property management team maintains the lot itself.

SASH For All: Our SASH (Support and Services At Home) For all Program Coordinator and Wellness Nurse rotate through our properties and will have a home office in Putney with this new development. Their panel of clients includes families and adults living in our buildings. SASH For All supports individuals and families pursue their self-defined health and wellness goals.

Rental Rehab: The Vermont Housing Improvement Program works with private property owners to bring vacant and blighted apartments back onto the market, create new apartments, and fund accessory dwelling units (ADU). The goal of the program is to address the housing crisis by creating more homes and connecting with the local continuum of care to identify tenants. Find out more on our page here.

Homeownership Support: We host monthly homebuyer education workshops which help families and individuals who are looking to take the next step into homeownership and provide them with the resources, tools, and support they need for a successful start! Participants are connected with our homeownership specialists who help from pre-qualifications to closing. Our Shared Equity homeownership model provides access to homeownership opportunities to income qualified households.

Green Mountain Home Repair:  We help homeowners keep safe and healthy with low cost loans to address home repairs. Our Specialists work with clients every step of the way from identifying the scope, finding contractors, identifying funding supports, and making sure the work is getting done well.

Evernorth (formerly Housing Vermont) is the co-developer of this project. They have a long history of developing affordable homes in Vermont including Putney Landing and Noyes Housing in Putney as well as Exner Block, Howard Block, and Pine Street Housing in Bellows Falls. They are co-owners in these properties. 

25!

Design/Funding: Spring 2023

Putney Town Permiting: Complete

Construction slated to begin: Spring 2025

2005 Planning Commission Effort:  Citizen Participation

Around 2005 with a grant from the Windham Regional Comission, the Putney Planning Commission hired a consultant to host a series of meetings that looked at different zoning districts and their capacity.  This parcel was identified as a good location for housing and renderings of possible designs were presented. 

Included in Town Plans: Public Process:

In addition, numerous Putney town plans, which include a public process, have called this parcel out as an ideal location for housing.  

Neighborhood Development Area: Public Process

This parcel is also located in a Neighborhood Development Area, a state-wide designation created to help streamline development in areas adjacent to village centers and that contain municipal infrastructure like water and sewer. Obtaining an NDA designation has a public process with multiple opportunities for citizen participation before being recommended for approval. 

Zoning Application:  Public Process

Finally, the application to acquire a zoning permit had a public process, during which we outlined how our project plans adhered to the zoning regulations and answered questions both from the development review board and the public.

So collectively, this parcel of land and eventually, this specific project has been the focus of numerous public processes that all built upon one another and that all pointed to this being an excellent location for new housing.    

No. Income eligibility is relevant at the time of lease up. You do not have to suppress your income or keep your savings under an amount to stay in housing.  If your life situation changes and your income increases, that’s great news. If you are looking to someday think about homeownership, we offer the Homebuyer Education Workshop and subsequent counseling with the fee waived for current residents. This program is HUD certified and meets requirements for most downpayment assistance programs.

The applications are not yet open for this property. No waitlist exists for this property. Once applications are available (end of construction phase), we will post “now leasing signs” and advertise locally.  The applications will request income information. Background checks are conducted as well as references are requested. 

The development will have 13 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom apartements. This is mixed income housing meaning the income qualifications meet a range of Putney incomes. Think cashier, families, child care workers, school support staff, young professionals, social services, retired folks, persons with disabilities and more. (To dive into income eligibility, click who will live here).

We don’t know yet since we haven’t started accepting applications. When the application process begins (about 2 months before construction is complete) we’ll advertise directly in Putney through paper advertisements and online annoucements. This is where you can help! Please share within your networks!  If you are on a waitlist for another property and would like to apply for this building, please reach out to us once the application period opens as the lists do not overlap.

Below is a chart of Putney household incomes which would qualify. To ensure the property meets a range of incomes and permanent affordability, there are units available to households to each of the following levels.

Eligibility is based on income. We also do background checks and require references. Below is a table of incomes we will be working with. These align with recent census data on Putney household income and local employer salaries/wages.

The rents are set to meet a broad range of local incomes without those households paying over 30% of their income towards rent (chart included above). For the 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, these rents will range from $660-$1,250 (utilities included) and include vouchers attached to 5 units- meaning the residents of those units would contribute 30% of their limited and/or fixed income to rent rather than shouldering the full rent. These units also have support services attached to them. For the full community, we have the SASH For All program.

We also accept housing choice vouchers so individuals who have access to a voucher are also eligible for these appartments. This means they may have difference incomes than those listed in the charts.

The design includes parking to accomodate 40 vehicles. This is consistant with the town’s zoning requirements. There is overflow gravel parking for farmers market days in the southern-most area of the parcel. The traffic impact of this development has been looked at in depth finding no adverse impact- this was verified through the appeal process.

The development plans will support substantial improvements that will create street parking for the community garden, create turning lanes for traffic turning onto Route 5, and install additional traffic calming measures such as landscaping, road striping, and cross walks. Sidewalks will also be installed along one side of Alice Holway Drive, connecting the housing and community gardens to the village center’s sidewalk network.

Yes. WWHT and Evernorth will partner to own the building under an LP and therefore will pay the property taxes to the town. In 2022, the properties in Putney owned by WWHT paid a total of $31,004.67 in property tax.  For the Alice Holway Drive project, we are estimating an annual tax bill of $22,500 bringing our total annual taxes in Putney to $53,504.

Putney town plans and professional studies -dating from the 90’s through current plans -have identified this parcel as ideal for development. In 2019 community members approached the Housing Trust to consider meeting the dire need for homes within the reach of local budgets. After an initial coordination meeting with folks from the town, the Community Gardens, Farmers Market, and Coop, the group Green Commons was formed to work through a conceptual design process to define whether or not this parcel could support the three uses (homes, gardens, farmers market) sustainably. Working with Stevens & Associates, together, the group worked through the conceptual process which established that all three uses were possible on the site.

From there, WWHT and Evernorth moved forward with the concept, regularly meeting with Green Commons to be up to date and offer input. Working with Vermont Integrated Architecture on the building designs, we reviewed several options for the how the buildings would be sited. We conducted a shade analysis to confirm that the garden plots would not be shadowed by the buildings during the growing season. We went through the official town process, presenting at Selectboard, Planning Commission, and Design Review. Our permit application was reviewed by the town and found in line with town zoning and planning.

The plot of land is being subdivided and Green Commons plans to gain full ownership (and is actively fundraising with state funders and local philanthropic efforts!) of the area they currently lease. We’re excited for this mix of landuses. It’s a strong example of smart-growth, mixed use development.

You may be surprised to learn that as much as 60% of the funds for a WWHT project comes from investors (such as local banks) rather than from state or federal governments. These investors receive a tax credit in exchange for the funding they provide. This is referred to as a Public-Private Partnership. To capture these funds, an organization must be a competative applicant with a proven track record of success of implementing funders priorities (ex: supporting vitality of downtowns, historic preservation, economic development).

The remaining 40% of funding is awarded to projects which meet stringent development guidelines for housing quality and safety (see list of funding sources below). Development guidelines include environmental restoration, historic standards, Federal energy efficiency standards, Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, and other state and federal mandates. These mandates are good public policy, improve quality of life, and they do add cost. Because of how the State of Vermont has set up the perameters of using these funds, deed restrictions are in place making the homes affordable in perpetuity and ensuring the public investment is a resource for the community in the generations to come.  

A significant factor in the overall cost of developing affordable housing has been the escalation of construction costs in recent years. Because the cost of construction is such a large portion of the total housing development budget for WWHT projects, when construction costs go up so do project budgets.

Funding sources include:
Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, HUD HOME, Community Recovery & Revitalization Program, Solar Tax Credit, Efficiency Vermont

Yes! The need for housing is dire in our community and directly linked to thriving communities- all housing is workforce housing. The income eligibility requirements for these apartmenets are based on the range of Windham County median incomes. We do acknowledge that the term “workforce housing” excludes folks who don’t fit into the labor market for any reason (retirement, disability, family needs, etc.) so this housing, and other housing in the area (Putney Landing, Noyse House, Laura Plantz) are “workforce housing” and “housing” in general terms.

Affordable housing, low income housing, workforce housing, housing, homes, public housing, subsidized housing, market rate housing, missing middle housing.

We approach the housing converation from this perspective: Offering the whole range of housing solutions empowers community members to find the fit that works for them and their families.

Having a home is a basic need- without access to stable housing, so much uncertainty follows. People use the terms listed above to talk about housing and meeting the community’s range of needs but they’re often undefined and used randomly, inadvertently causing confusion. Technically, affordable housing means a person spends no more than 30% of their income towards housing costs. Our mission is to provide this through housing opportunities and programs across a range of income levels. All these other terms are geared towards a general idea of income ranges or how that housing is funded and/or managed. At this point in time, housing that’s avialable at “market rate”  (driven by the market prices) isn’t actually affordable (as defined above) to the people who live here.

Alice Holway fulfills our interest in creating new sustainable, accessible and affordable units that will be available to community members across the spectrum of income level and need.

Thank you for getting involved! There are several ways you can lend your support.

1) Write a letter to the editor discussing why you’re excited about the project

2) Attend local board meetings and hearings

3) Confront misinformation or harmful stereotypes online and in conversation