Next Meeting on 55+ District Overlay Plan May 22, 7 p.m. at BHS

By Judith Dorato O’Gara

A new development is being proposed in South Bellingham, at the site of the New England Country Club. Bellingham resident Greg Houghton lives about a quarter mile away from there. He wants the residents of Bellingham to be, “aware of what’s going on, and let them be a part of the conversation.

“Back in 2017, the owner wanted to build 55+ housing, 200-300 units, and part of that required a petition to the town for a Zoning overlay. The Town voted to grant this overlay district. Pretty much, we were sold on this relatively small 55+ community where a couple hundred houses would be built,” says Houghton, who adds that now, “They’re trying to cram 1600 units in there.”

Indeed, the 2017 concept proposed by Ron Bonvie, principal of Bonvie Homes, initially proposed 172 units at a density of about six units an acre (https://tinyurl.com/WickedLocal2017NECC).

At that time, Bellingham voters approved Article 19 at the Annual Town Meeting, amending Zoning Bylaws entitled “Establishment of districts240-28A (2), creating a 55+ Active Adult Overlay District (AAOD)”. Wording of the article noted an aim “to foster the development of a range of housing types and to provide the flexibility to encourage development that will allow for context-sensitive design and creative site planning. The processes developed hereunder will ensure that the development within the AAOD will be balanced with public health, safety and welfare. All projects proposed within this bylaw shall employ development principles that take into consideration the existing landscape, scenic vistas, passive and recreational opportunities and conservation of open spaces.”

The AAOD, available to view within Bellingham’s Zoning Bylaws at  https://ecode360.com/15958366, allows for single-, two-, and multi-family dwellings with a maximum density of 8 residential units per acre and maximum building height of 37-60 feet, depending on the type of dwelling. Applicants are charged with ensuring projects are safe, with no adverse impacts on traffic, adequate emergency access, with a substantial portion reserved for open space.

On March 27th, at Bellingham High School, NECC Holdings, LCC, presented its proposal to the Bellingham Planning Board for a 1,600 development on the 330 acres at 180 Paine Street, where the district overlay exists. Many residents, from Bellingham and nearby Woonsocket, voiced opposition, with concerns over traffic, safety, impact of construction, environment, stretched public and municipal services, and the area’s historical connection to the Pokanoket Indian Tribe. Rep. Mike Soter, at the meeting, called the newer proposal a “bait and switch.”

“When this project came to my attention, I was shocked at what they were proposing,” Rep. Soter told the Bulletin, “This is not what the select board did previously with the overlay. These overlays take a lot of time and commitment. When I was chair of select board, we had multiple public meetings weighing numerous proposals on how the overlays would work including mitigating traffic plans. This preposterous proposal does not fit for that overlay or that neighborhood period. We had multiple proposals like this before the overlay was presented. I told them then and say it again now, apartment towers here in this location do not work. The overlay clearly outlines what this should be and that is simply a gated community for residents over 55 as per the overlay.”

Andrew Flynn, speaking for NECC, in fact, addressed public wariness for the project in his introduction at the Planning Board meeting. “I understand that we need to earn the trust and credibility of this community We understand inherent skepticism on a project like this…” said Flynn, continuing, “… what we are going to present tonight is not perfect, is not final…we want it ultimately to be in line with the overlay, the town’s housing production goals and the goals of all residents in Bellingham, Woonsocket and the surrounding area…”

Maintaining the 18-hole golf course, the project proposed aims for an east and west “campus” on either end of the course, each consisting of 800 housing units in six multi-unit residential buildings. The east campus would be on Wrentham Road, the west campus would be on Paine Street, with a total of 2,431 parking spaces on site. Readers can view the proposed plans at the Town website at https://www.bellinghamma.org/799/NECC-Holdings-LLC-180-Paine-Street---Spe, or find the page under “Proposed Projects” at the Planning Board’s page.

“I’m passionately opposed to this,” says Houghton, who believes neither Paine Street nor Wrentham Road can handle 300-400 more cars. “It puts a strain on emergency services, the water supply, on schools. I want the town involved in the conversation, showing up, hearing it, and asking questions,” he continued.

Houghton is not alone in his apprehension to the project. Other dissenters have created a website and Facebook page voicing that opposition called Stop NECC 2025 (https://stopnecc2025.com) and were circulating a petition against the project that had garnered 945 signatures at press time.

The project will next be discussed at a meeting on May 22nd at 7 p.m. at the Bellingham High School Auditorium.

For ongoing updates, please refer to the official Bellingham Planning Board page: https://www.bellinghamma.org/507/Planning-Board