Conservation Commission and Planning Board Joint Site Walk
Amesbury Housing Authority presented detailed capital and accessibility needs across its properties — including major window replacement at Heritage Towers (~$1M), exterior envelope work at Macy Terrace (four buildings ~$700k; 12 more buildings remain), a proposed fenced playground at Macy (~$70k), ADA conversion opportunities, and ongoing renovations of 30 Pow Wow Villa units. The presentation outlined funding sources (rents, state formula and capital funds, bond/grant awards), long waiting lists for public housing, and limits on what state/federal funds will cover.
The Community Preservation Committee meeting heard a substantive presentation from the Amesbury Housing Authority (AHA) on current affordable‑housing holdings, capital needs, and how Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds might help. AHA Director Ann Marie Connor summarized the authority’s portfolio (examples: Pow Wow Villa — 60 units with 30 being renovated; Heritage Vale — 43 units; Heritage Towers — 102 elderly/disabled units; Macy Terrace — 27 family units plus 10 federal units; Orchard Park — 13 family units; Quinn House — 24 SRO units) and noted the authority administers about 84 Housing Choice vouchers and serves roughly 400 residents. Connor reported very long statewide waiting lists (6,306 applicants for elderly/disabled units with 144 local applicants; 23,522 family applicants with 271 local applicants) and described recent and planned projects including a ~30‑unit renovation at Pow Wow Villa, installation of properly vented bathroom fans (state grant ~just under $1M), exterior envelope/refurbishment at Macy Street, and playground and outdoor amenity improvements.
Committee members questioned funding sources, project priorities, and eligibility under CPA. Key needs highlighted were Heritage Towers window replacement (estimated at about $1M), exterior envelope work at Macy (four buildings funded for ~ $700k with a dozen more to address), a fenced playground at Macy (~$70k total with $20k raised privately), asbestos remediation costs that raise project budgets, and converting at least one rehabbed unit to ADA accessibility (state vacancy‑rehab funding can’t cover ADA modifications). Discussion covered how AHA is funded (tenant rents, state formula and capital improvement allocations, occasional state and bond/grant funding), limits of federal funding for some units, the ability to use local CPA funds to unlock state matching dollars, resident services and accessibility accommodations (tub cutouts, limited handicap‑compliant units in the towers), and the AHA’s interest in pursuing cooperative development or new units on city‑owned land. The Committee agreed to schedule the next meeting for November 19 to hear the Amesbury Affordable Housing Trust and then begin synthesizing information for the Community Preservation Plan.
Points of interest
