Littleton Housing Study Prepared by the Littleton Planning Board Adopted August 2002 Abstracted from http://www.littletonma.org/Master%20Plan/table_contents.htm Findings Littleton's housing stock is composed of various types ranging from groups of converted summer camps, and expansive colonial farmsteads to vast areas of modern tract homes. The latter housing type is becoming more prevalent. Lower cost housing options are becoming increasingly more difficult to find. Prospective new neighbors, as well as lifelong residents, hold Littleton's historic and agrarian character in high regard. Current economic prosperity, coupled with our cultural preference for detached homes situated on spacious parcels of land can be expected to bring pressure on remaining open land, thereby further reducing remaining rural character. The result, while possibly supporting higher overall property values, will also bring homogeneity to the identity of the community as well as a smaller range of options to housing stock. It is this potential lack of diversity in the housing stock that will limit Littleton's future character as well as the options available to those who hope to live in the community. The decrease in available housing options also challenges the limits of those life long residents whose needs change but still wish to remain in town. The current issues extracted from the analysis performed in this housing element are listed as follows: Fewer housing alternatives other than larger detached homes While single-family detached dwellings are and will remain the dominant form of housing in Littleton, alternatives need to be more seriously considered. It is unlikely most elderly, lifelong members of the community, the typical new family with a limited income or unmarried individuals who have a desire to remain in, or who wish to move into Littleton can afford to purchase or to own the typical newly built home. This trend appears to be decreasing the pool of individuals available to volunteer for the Fire Department as well as other volunteer dependent community activities. In addition to the initial expense, ongoing maintenance, grounds keeping and tax payments make single-family home ownership untenable to some. In order to accommodate a greater variety of persons who wish to participate in the community, other forms of housing need to be provided. Loss of local character due to suburban sprawl As demonstrated in the Land Use element of this Master Plan, open space in the community is quickly being converted to residential use. The high rate of conversion is due to the affects of current zoning on the cultural desire for detached single-family home ownership. Modifications to the current zoning bylaw are proposed in the Land Use section of this Plan to make less "land-hungry" housing alternatives more enticing to the developer. The fostering of good working relationships between developers, town officials and the community at large will show that a high quality of life can be expected from these new, more efficient, housing alternatives. The net result for the community will be a quality home-life for all in a town rich in individual character. Need for more elderly housing Master Plan research has revealed that there is a need for more housing in line with the needs of Littleton's more senior residents. Interviews with representatives of all current elderly housing facilities report at least a 1-2 year wait for the new prospective tenant. All other community sources also acknowledged this need and implied that there would be firm support for new over age 55 and elderly housing proposals. In order to insure the effectiveness of these new tools, close attention to detail will be necessary. Fruition of these proposals will call for ongoing good working relationships with involved developers, town officials and a participatory community. Iterative dialog will be necessary to bring consensus that will improve the results. Ratification of Land Use recommendations II-1 (Cluster by Right) and II-2 (Transfer of Developments Rights) are important in the implementation of a number of recommendations made below and are noted where appropriate. Proposals and Recommendations Update and Maintain Statistical Data In general, a Master Plan is understood to be a living document that is modified and updated at regular intervals in order to reflect the changing needs of a community. Recently, the US Census Bureau has completed the data collection phase of the year 2000 census. Because the detailed information available from this census will not be available for some time, it has been necessary to base detailed population profile analysis in this element on 1990 population data. Fortunately some basic population profile data is tracked by the town, and it's incorporation into the master plan has generally confirmed most inferences made by US Census data, while additionally demonstrating the increase of some trends, such as the decrease in the 18-29 population or the increase in the over 60 population. As the details of the year 2000 census become available, it would be prudent for the community to incorporate this information into the master plan to update the community profile Planned Development Area Provision The "Planned Development Area" provision maintains the current zoning density existent, but it grants flexibility to setback and lot layout requirements. This would allow a design that is responsive to site specific concerns, such as natural features. While not altering ultimate density, this technique can be used to preserve rural character as well as create a closer neighborhood feeling. This provision works best with proposals of a minimum size of about 20 acres. Residential Infill for Historic Area Littleton Common, Foster Street and King Street areas are places where infill development can establish a more cohesive neighborhood. Services are within walking distance and neighborhood character is already strong. Smaller vacant parcels that lie within and around the Village could be used to help diversify the town-wide housing stock through the construction of new homes on smaller lots, but only in cases where current septic needs can be met. Future sewerage or a septic system serving a group of smaller house lots where possible, will allow for the eventual development of remaining parcels. Tools and techniques including the village center zone provision, TDR (II-2), planned developments and the cluster-by-right provision (II-1), all as described above and in the Land Use element, can be used to create housing in these areas. In this scenario, design provisions that may be drawn up with the creation of the village center zone (II-4) will bring new homes that preserve and promote the historic neighborhood fabric. The ultimate value of these new homes will be dictated by community input, attention to detail and construction quality. Housing Alternatives in Mixed-Use Areas Within proposals for West Littleton Village and new development in the Nashoba area, opportunities exist to create good-quality homes that are smaller, easier to care for and less costly than the typical new home in Littleton. Inherent amenities also include walking distance connections to shopping, services and linked recreational opportunities. Over-55 Retirement Community Provision Devise an ordinance that would provide extra incentives (such as higher densities) to the developer for the creation of an over-55 retirement community. Proper design of such a community can provide a less costly, high quality result for the in-demand housing type that is directed toward this specific segment of the housing market. Such a community can often provide amenities that fit the specific needs of this segment that would not otherwise be available to the typical resident. This provision can also benefit from TDR strategies (Land Use recommendation II-2) with a project of this type located in a "receiving area". Community Preservation Act Elderly Housing The Commonwealth has recently enacted legislation that will support special low and moderate-income elderly housing construction in conjunction with the Community Preservation Act. Littleton presently has limited elderly housing options and analysis completed for this plan has shown an increasing local demand. If the community is poised to take action utilizing this legislation, new elderly housing can be provided soon at lower cost to the community. Funds that will become available by the town approving a real property transfer surcharge of not more that 3% of the real estate tax, for the development of this type of housing may also enhance the implementation of other development scenarios described in this Master Plan. The needs and characteristics of elderly housing are ideally suited for Littleton Common infill and mixed-use area development discussed in the Land Use element. With regard to the acceptance of this proposal by adjacent residents, the elderly population in general make good neighbors in more dense settings and will likely help support the stabilization of proposed local commercial services. New Housing Dedicated to the Elderly Analysis conducted in this master plan regarding the amount of elderly housing in Littleton has shown that there is a need for more. Town officials and the community can take action to create additional housing of this type. While current facilities have been privately developed and managed, the community at large and the elderly in town can work together to explore all possible public/private arrangements that could bring new elderly housing to town.