The Town of Amesbury received approval from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for its adoption of the Gateway Village Smart Growth Overlay District in Amesbury. The overlay district will become a so-called 40R district, referring to the chapter of Massachusetts General Law, and entitles Amesbury to a $350,000 Zoning Incentive Payment from the Smart Growth Housing Trust Fund established by the state.
The Amesbury Gateway Village Overlay District is bounded by Route 110/Haverhill Road to the north, Route 150 to the east, Route 495 and South Hunt Road to the south, and North Martin Road to the west. The overlay district has eight sub-districts including mixed use, single and two-family residential uses, multi-family residential, open space, and commercial non-residential uses. The district requires not less than 20% of the housing units be designated for affordable housing.
“The overlay district will create significant opportunities to provide affordable housing, increase the commercial tax base, and protect open space,” said Mayor Kezer. “I appreciate the Municipal Council’s support of the overlay district, and Representative Costello’s efforts working with DHCD to secure Amesbury’s place in the 40R program.”
The city included ten objectives for the 40R overlay district including preserving Amesbury’s unique community character by providing a full range of housing choices for households of all income, ages and sizes; encouraging permanent preservation of contiguous open space, vistas, and environmental habitat consistent with the Master Plan; and encourage more efficient and compact development that consumes less open land and natural materials.
“The development of this area is critical to the economic future of Amesbury and providing quality, affordable housing is an integral part of that plan," said State Representative Michael Costello. "These incentive funds represent a significant investment in Amesbury. I want to thank Undersecretary Tina Brooks for partnering with me and the town on this project.”
"I am very happy that Amesbury was successful in gaining approval for their 40R proposal," said Senator Steven Baddour. "This award will help Amesbury build units that offers housing choices and enhances quality of life while preserving their attractive open-space and natural resources."