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Rice Pond Village Public Hearing Closed
The developer, Steven F. Venincasa, through his legal counsel, stated (and we paraphrase) that if the proposed Rice Pond Village project was not approved by the Millbury Planning Board then their intention would be to submit a Chapter 40B affordable housing project with much greater density (i.e., slightly less than 225 apartments).
Guidelines For Comprehensive Permit Projects
The Massachusetts Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has guidelines for MGL Chapter 40B Comprehensive Permit Projects, also known as affordable housing. There are two important sections that were pulled from the document that relate to the requirements that must be met, which includes, but are not limited to: local bylaws, zoning, and subdivision control laws.
Public Hearing — January 24, 2022
The continuation of the public hearings for the proposed Rice Pond Village project will be held on Monday, January 24, 2022, beginning at 7:15 PM EST.
Railroad Denies Request
The Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W) will respectfully be unable to provide any funding for this project at this time. The Rice Road crossing currently meets standard requirements for the existing conditions and the P&W is unable to spend its' limited funding on replacing railroad assets that have not yet reached the end of their lifecycle.
Railroad Contribution Letter
In the interest of improving safety, the Planning Board wants the developer to absorb the costs of widening Rice Road to a uniform 22' paved width (including the 19' wide section within the railroad right-of-way), along with several other off-site improvements including improvements to vehicular and pedestrian safety along Rice Road.
Can The Developer Withdraw?
During a couple of the more recent Millbury Planning Board public hearings for the proposed Rice Pond Village project, the developer, Steven F. Venincasa, has stated (an ultimatum) that he could simply withdraw the special permit application and resubmit an even higher-density affordable housing development, with slightly less than 225 affordable apartments under Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 40B.