Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust Meeting – October 21, 2025

The Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust met remotely on October 21, 2025, to approve prior minutes, review the Community Preservation Act (CPA) application, hear community engagement results for Rising Ball Field, discuss the developer RFP, and workshop the ADU program. Board members also raised advocacy items, including an ADU tax exemption, the residential exemption, and a potential seasonal community designation.

Consent Calendar

• The board approved the September 16 full board minutes by roll call; all present voted aye. July, August, and September main meeting minutes had already been approved and sent to the town clerk, with two newer subcommittee minutes still outstanding.
• No additional reports were made under agenda reports.

Community Preservation Act Application

• Ananda reported on the August CPC meeting, noting positive feedback on the draft developer RFP rubric and the trust’s process plan for Rising Ball Field. CPC asked Chris Rembold to help publicize Prosperity Way opportunities, with concern about access for South County residents.
• The recommended CPA step-one application would request the maximum amount allowable, while recognizing CPC’s minimum 10% set-asides for historic preservation and recreation/environment, plus an administrative set-aside. The long-term goal is for the town to eventually direct all affordable housing CPA funds to the trust.
• Joe suggested making explicit that the trust wants CPC to maximize total affordable housing spending, not necessarily fund the trust exclusively. Ananda cautioned that grant applications generally should not tell funders to give money to others, and noted some CPC members have signaled giving the trust a larger share this year.
• The board asked Ananda to lead the application again, using last year’s framework; she will decide in November whether to request funds for outside application assistance.

Rising Ball Field Community Engagement

• Fred and Bill reported two in-person community meetings: October 4 in Housatonic, with about 22 attendees including most of the Select Board and Park Street neighbors, and October 13 at Berkshire South. A paper and online survey remains open.
• Preliminary survey results showed: 67% of respondents wanted mixed rental and ownership options and 33% wanted only ownership; 45% preferred townhouses/apartments and 36% preferred freestanding homes; 46% wanted a mixed population; and 100% said local people should be given priority. These results were framed as incomplete because the survey is still open.
• Discussion addressed whether CPA-restricted units can serve municipal employees earning above 100% of area median income; CPA funds cannot be used for households above 100% AMI. Peter recapped that median income for an individual is about $79,000 and varies by household size. Fred noted Habitat’s first phase uses 80% and 100% AMI units.
• Several members pushed for broader survey distribution through town channels, Eileen Looney, the Chamber, and Fairview Hospital. Fred asked for a November report but cautioned the snapshot may be partial; Peter asked to broaden outreach before then. The subcommittee will continue survey outreach and report in November.
• On local preference, members noted legal and funding constraints; Egremont and New Marlborough used private funds to prioritize local employees, while mixed town/state funding changes the rules. The trust agreed the future RFP process should address feasibility limits publicly.

Developer RFP

• The RFP returned from town counsel with minor edits. It will be held until the CPA process is complete, at Chris Rembold’s request, to avoid overlapping RFPs and town staffing limits; January is the earliest likely release. The RFP is written to remain open on a rolling basis until funds are expended or the end of the fiscal year.
• No grant size limit is currently set; members discussed using limited funds strategically but did not change the RFP.

ADU Program

• The trust has $100,000 combined from previously encumbered and newly set-aside funds for the next ADU round. The rubric covers project viability, living space, location, financial need, cost effectiveness, and overall impact.
• Construct and the town have current staffing constraints; Construct is searching for an executive director, and the town is awaiting a new town manager. The first ADU pilot was described as very successful and is nearing completion, with a full-time municipal employee as the qualified tenant.
• Fred proposed changing the grant structure to support smaller projects or modifications. Ananda suggested weighting the rubric toward modifications rather than narrowing the applicant pool. Joe supported a simpler feasibility-focused rubric and a $50,000 maximum.
• The board discussed offering application and planning consultations, possibly through Construct’s contractor network, and a possible step-one/step-two application structure. Bill and Ananda will review records on prior unsuccessful applicants, and Ananda will check Construct’s capacity before the November meeting.

Issues and Advocacy

• Peter asked to revive the ADU tax exemption proposal; a new town manager starts November 3, the prior assessor has left, and the issue stalled. The trust will revisit the memoranda next month, with a goal of getting it into the budget season if the Select Board takes it up in January or February.
• The board discussed the residential, or Michael Wise, exemption. Bill noted it is a Select Board decision, not a Town Meeting vote, and the Select Board chair has been publicly skeptical but willing to listen. The board agreed to invite Michael Wise to a future meeting to explain the mechanics before deciding whether to advocate for it.

Trustee Speak

• Peter proposed that the trust support designating Great Barrington as a seasonal community. The comment window closes October 31; the Planning Board will vote Thursday on expanding the law to include ambulance first responders. Towns with 40% or greater second-homeowner population qualify automatically; Great Barrington is at about 12% but may meet other indicators. The state application process is expected in the first quarter of 2026. This was added to the November agenda.
• Fred reported Construct staff requested a conversation about the rental assistance program because no awards have been made from trust-allocated funds in several funding cycles.
• Fred noted Habitat for Humanity of Central Berkshire will celebrate Jimmy and Rosalind Carter Build Day on October 31, featuring the 20 homes on Prosperity Way; a women build team will be working that day.
• Fred apologized for allowing personal comments at the September public meeting.
• A trustee mentioned naturally occurring affordable housing may soon come onto the market, suggesting it could be a candidate for the developer RFP.

Key Outcomes

• Motion to approve prior minutes passed unanimously by roll call.
• The trust will submit a CPA step-one application, continue the collaborative approach with CPC, and use last year’s framework; Ananda will lead.
• Rising Ball Field survey outreach will continue with broader distribution; a report is expected in November.
• Developer RFP remains on hold until the CPA cycle concludes, with a likely January release.
• ADU program structure will be revisited in November after research on prior applicants and Construct capacity.
• Future agendas will include the ADU tax exemption, residential exemption education session, and seasonal community designation discussion.