CONWAY — An initiative to bring senior housing into town has been temporarily pushed to the back-burner because the town doesn’t own enough land.
In response, Housing Committee Chairwoman Pixie Holbrook said her committee is investigating purchasing more land, and invites anyone interested in selling or donating property to contact the town administrator.
“We essentially are on hold but for the right reasons,” said Holbrook about the initiative’s temporary setback.
“It has become apparent to several committees that the town has five important projects that are pending, all requiring the need for land,” she continued. “These include a large solar project, a downtown leaching field, a new town garage, a new safety complex for fire, ambulance and police, and a senior housing complex.”
To meet the needs of all projects, the Planning Board held a few meetings over the summer to prioritize projects. Holbrook said the board created a spreadsheet “that includes all the factors necessary for each project. In this way, we can help each other locate land, perhaps share space, and focus on the needs of each project.”
According to state records, Conway doesn’t have any houses labeled “affordable” by state requirements. A 2014 Housing Production Plan created by Deerfield through Franklin County Council of Governments found that “there is a shortage of affordable senior units in the South County region.”
Currently, the town owns between 25 and 30 acres of land. According to Holbrook, “the specific needs for senior housing (require) two to three acres, preferably open and flat, preferably in the center of town.”
“Primary is easy access by car to major routes for services such as shopping and doctor appointments, and easy access by foot to walking paths in nature or neighborhood.”
At least part of the difficulty in finding viable land, Holbrook continued, is because Conway isn’t flat like its valley neighbors.
“Our geology is not in our favor,” she said.
Another problem is wetland prevalence, which limits useable space on plots already owned by the town. Recently, the committee looked into building on a parcel of town-owned land next to South River, but decided against it because of expensive infill requirements to bolster the soft ground.
The town’s dense woodlands also pose a potential problem, although Holbrook noted that “land can be cleared, if the right parcel comes along.”
As to current problems the landscape poses to seniors, Holbrook said “many seniors live alone, in houses far too large for them, down isolated roads.”
Thus, she added, the need for senior housing “is going to be a crisis” as the town’s population ages.
“It’s not being in the center of town that’s important,” Holbrook said at a recent all-committee meeting in the Town Hall, “it’s about creating a place of community where seniors can age in-place.”