By Avice Meehan

With site work paused for winter, the Foundation for Norfolk Living is now focused on the next phase of developing 10 new houses at Haystack Woods, located off Old Colony Road.

This phase is heavy on paperwork and documentation: preparing bid documents, reviewing options for construction financing, creating the framework for a homeowners association and developing a list of prospective buyers.

“We have a really strong path forward,” said Kate Johnson, who chairs the foundation’s board. She acknowledged that this part of the process is taking longer than anticipated and may delay the start of construction

Johnson and fellow board member Louis Barbagallo provided the progress report during a recent meeting at the Norfolk Hub. As expected, Guerrera Construction finished major site work in November, and the first layer of asphalt was laid on the road. The entrance will be blocked until warmer weather returns.

In the meantime, the foundation has brought on additional consulting help it needs to prepare bid documents and actually put the construction out to bid. Until now, the foundation and its construction manager have worked with detailed estimates.

“The construction of these homes is fairly unique,” said Barbagallo, noting that the trades will need to be “a little more sophisticated” than for a standard project. “The state has every right to make sure we do it the right way.” The foundation must demonstrate a good faith effort to meet state requirements involving small businesses and, specifically, businesses owned by women or members of a minority group. 

Each of the houses at Haystack Woods will be “net zero,” providing a low cost of ownership through the use of technology that includes photo voltaic cells and innovative construction materials that include prefabricated exterior walls. The price of the homes—and the total cost of ownership—will be linked to the income of a qualifying buyer. Individuals who are interested in learning more about Haystack Woods are invited to send an email to norfolkliving@gmail.com.