Town Center Update
November 29, 2011
Towne Centre (Stissing Farms/VA Clinic): In the November 9, 2011 Planning Board meeting the board approved the revised application for Towne Centre to become a senior rental development. This 13.69 acre project on 199 near the high school was originally approved as 48 condo units for buyers age 55 and above. Later the unoccupied completed units were approved for rental units with the same age restrictions. In the summer of 2011 the developers submitted a request to drop the age restrictions and change the approval to multifamily rentals as the continued economic downturn has led to a dearth of applicants. This change received a very negative reaction at a public hearing and was dropped by the developers who reintroduced the age restriction in response to the community opposition. The proposed rental units would be mostly market rate with a small percentage classified as “affordable” with rent levels to be determined by the town. Six one bedroom, one den prefab attached units are finished. Five units of the next phase of redesigned, stick-built units are also now complete. Now that the developers have received approval for their new application they plan to construct the additional units once they have secured financing from HUD. Rentals of the new units will not begin until construction of half the project is complete. The VA clinic in the commercial building on 199 is already open and the other part of that building is vacant. The remaining acreage along 199, next to the clinic is slated for future commercial development including a large (10,000 s.f.) two story building and a replacement of the gas station. This proposed commercial section of the property has not yet officially come before the planning board yet and therefore has not been approved.
