Posts

Showing posts from January, 2024

Enfield Set for Biggest Housing and Population Growth in Decades

Image
Open space and existing homes — the balance Enfield must navigate as new housing proposals emerge. Enfield is quietly on the verge of its largest housing expansion in decades. Over the past several years, the town has approved or is reviewing projects that together could add nearly 1,400 units — most of them smaller, rental apartments. If built, these developments would bring about 2,300 to 2,600 new residents to town. The town needs this new housing. Enfield's population is flat. It's getting older. Young people are declining. Our job market growth is flat. (see appendix)  Young People Are Key Without young people, Enfield will face a long and persistent decline and soaring taxes. We're surrounded by communities that help underpin our commercial sector that are seeing similar demographic shifts. Enfield Has 5,000 Fewer Residents Than in 1970 In 1970, our population was 46,200. The U.S. includes prisoners in the local population, but our prison population at that time was n...

Enfield Town Council's unprofessional action

Image
  Enfield's Town Council is apparently trying to kill a 70-unit housing project in Thompsonville that the Planning and Zoning Commission approved. The Council's behavior has been egregious and unprofessional in pursuit of that goal. It's doing this in secret and risking a lawsuit for murky reasons. Impact Residential Development recently received PZC approval for this project in a 5-2 vote. It was a remarkable and courageous moment for the commission. But the Town Council Republicans want to block it. They are designing in executive session a way to oppose it. They did not let the developer know of their plan until the last minute. Here's the background The developers plan to build this housing on and near the former Strand Theater site, land which the town had acquired. It combines primarily affordable housing and market-rate units with 70 parking spaces. It faced opposition over concerns about on-street parking. The idea is that since this is a transit-oriented develo...