West Chatham Could Theoretically Host 322 New Homes Under Proposed Zoning Bylaw

CHATHAM – Under proposed zoning that would allow up to 12 housing units per acre of land, the West Chatham village center could host 322 new residential units, if every available parcel were developed to its maximum potential. 

 That’s the estimate of consultants hired by the town to conduct a so-called “buildout analysis” of the area along Route 28 from just west of Market Place to just east of Wheldon Way, encompassing 54 parcels that would be subject to the proposed zoning.

 “We wanted to provide an understanding of the potential increase in the housing density in this area,” said consultant Adam Duchesneau of BSC Group. The analysis also revealed that, under a limit of eight units per acre instead of 12, the area would host about 207 more housing units at buildout.

 To conduct the analysis, consultant examined five specific properties that could potentially be redeveloped: the Ocean State Job Lot land at 1674 Main St.; the Kream and Kone and post office plaza across the street; a parcel just east of Job Lot on the same side; 1610 Main St., which was formerly considered for a new senior center; and the Shop Ahoy plaza. The consultants predicted that 21 properties – representing nearly 10 acres – would not likely be redeveloped in the near future, and so predicted no change in development potential there. Those parcels included newly-built homes, conservation areas and residential lots that are already at capacity.

For lots judged to be likely to be redeveloped in the future, the analysis considered what parts of the property could be used for residential development — generally the parts set back from Main Street — and how much commercial development could be put on the remaining parts of the land. In the case of the Job Lot property, consultants counted the maximum number of housing units that could be built in parts of the land that are outside the airport’s runway protection zone, where no new residential development is allowed. There, the consultants calculated the maximum amount of commercial space that could be created.

“The proposed zoning, at maximum density, would yield 322 new residential units,” Duchesneau said. “But there’s a caveat associated with that number.” The analysis assumes that the new units would be developed through the special permit process with oversight from the planning board or appeals board. In a more likely scenario, those boards would limit development to something less than the maximum allowed by zoning. “So these numbers could definitely go down,” he said.

The consultants also needed to make estimates and assumptions that would allow them to calculate the number of parking spaces each lot would require, Duchesneau said. Some businesses require more parking spaces than others, or might have other requirements that are different.

“Considering what you’ve analyzed in terms of the maximum buildout, were you also able to analyze whether or not that can be supported by existing infrastructure — sewer, water, etc.?” planning board member Kathryn Halpern asked. Duchesneau said that was outside the scope of the analysis. 

“We merely looked at how the sites could be redeveloped and what their maximum buildout could be,” he said. Likewise, the study did not consider traffic impacts.

Planning board member Frank Sherer wondered how many bedrooms would be included in the new residential units.

“I know this is a theoretical exercise,” he added.

Duchesneau said his team did not calculate the number of bedrooms, but looked at residential units that were 1,000 square feet in size, about the square footage of a mid-sized apartment. The actual units could be larger or smaller, with varying layouts. 

“We did not get into that level of detail,” he said.

The planning board plans to host a public workshop, perhaps later this month, to review the analysis in more detail.