PETER J. MILLER
WESTFIELD- Mayor Daniel M. Knapik and the Department of Community Development and Planning are seeking volunteers to serve on an advisory committee in developing a Downtown Westfield Market-Rate Housing Strategy. The City has received a technical assistance grant through the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) to assess the economic and regulatory environment that might be hindering the development of market-rate housing in the downtown area.
Committee members will be requested to attend three to five meetings and organize a public stakeholder input session. The Committee’s work will begin with a meeting on Tuesday, June 25, and be completed in December of 2013 with the presentation of a final plan to city boards.
“Providing a wide range of housing options is a vital component of any successful downtown,” Knapik said. “Over the years, Westfield has struggled to attract market-rate development in the core district and we hope this study can identify some things we can do locally to reverse that trend,” he added.
As one of the state’s 26 designated “gateway cities,” Westfield is aiming to take advantage of some tools the state has provided to incentivize market-rate development in downtown areas. Among those tools is the ability to create a Housing Development Incentive Plan (HDIP) and zone where prospective developers can qualify for property tax forgiveness in exchange for redeveloping real estate and aiming rent toward individuals and families who are above the neighborhood’s median family income.
“The HDIP program is something we’ve investigated seriously over the past few months,” said Westfield’s Community Development Director Peter Miller. “Having seen several affordable housing initiatives and some college-focused development in the recent past, we recognize that market-rate options should be part of the mix as well.”
Interested citizens should contact the Community Development Department at (413) 572-6246 or by email at [email protected].
