Downtown Will Get Six Affordable Apartments

By Bob Bumcrot

The Foundation for Norfolk Living is moving forward with plans to purchase two houses and convert them into affordable apartments. The houses, at 40 and 46 Greenwoods Road, sit next to the town meadow.

The former Menard house on the corner of Greenwoods Rd. W. and Shepard Rd. is one of the houses in question. Photos by Bruce Frisch.

“We have options to purchase these adjacent homes,” said Lou Barbagallo, the foundation’s president. “Once we own them, the two properties will be combined into a single parcel.” The wooden-frame single-family home at number 40 will be renovated and divided into two apartments with egress stairs and decks. The brick structure at number 46, now split into two apartments, will be expanded and divided into four apartments.

“Our mission is to create housing opportunities for people of modest means with the energy and commitment to Norfolk that would add to our vital army of dedicated volunteers who serve on our fire department, ambulance service, community association, historical society, town boards and commissions, and many other groups,” said Barbagallo.

The apartments would be offered to families and individuals with income of at most 80 percent of the area median income, that is, about $57,200 to $63,000 depending on family size. The one- to three-bedroom units would be leased, perhaps with an option to buy, at rates to hold costs including utilities to at most 30 percent of income. While a foundation committee will select tenants and set overall policy, a professional property management company will oversee general operations.

The foundation is committed to energy-efficient building and to maintaining the character of good Norfolk housing. For example, external lighting will be designed so as not to shine up into the sky.

Sufficient funding has enabled the foundation to hire Ken Hrica of Litchfield for surveying, site design and engineering, and Henry Schader Associates, P. C., of Farmingdale for architectural work. Since his hiring, Hrica has joined the Schader firm.

This building, part brick and part wooden frame, will have two apartments. Photo by Bruce Frisch.

The next steps in the project will be appearances on March 3 at the Inland Wetlands Commission and on March 11 at the Planning and Zoning Commission. The foundation seems confident about these public hearings. “Our architectural plans will actually improve the town meadow wetlands,” said Kate Johnson, a board member for the foundation. Once approvals from these bodies are obtained the foundation will begin to seek funding. Housing Enterprises, Inc. has been engaged to assist with grant applications and management oversight.

The first grant application, to the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH), is expected to be submitted in early June. Other applications are under consideration to CHAMP (Competitive Housing Assistance for Multifamily Properties), The Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, the Housing Tax Credit Contribution program, and other agencies, as well as private foundations and individuals. It is hoped that the DOH application will be accepted in the fall, with funding beginning in early 2015. If all goes well, the apartments could open late next year.

A few inquiries have revealed no competitive concerns by other Norfolk landlords. “I don’t think this project will hurt my business,” said David Torrey, owner of a multifamily unit just down the street. “I strongly favor the project, which I have in fact been suggesting for at least a year.”