This week, the featured guest on the Wayland Weekly Buzz will be Town Planner Sarkis Sarkisian, who will talk about the status of affordable housing in town as well as our Housing Production Plan (HPP). Our current HPP expires next September and the town needs to strategize about how to reach the goal of 10 percent of affordable housing stock versus the total with the new census data that will come out next March.

The purpose of a Housing Plan is to create a framework and road map with different options for the town to reach the 10 percent goal. The affordable housing plan will serve as a tool in helping to make public investments that result in affordable housing. The plan recommends alternative programs that can be used to address identified and unmet housing needs. State regulations provide special exceptions for municipalities with an approved Housing Production Plan. Towns that increase their subsidized housing inventory by specified “production thresholds” (0.5 percent in one year or 1 percent over two years) are certified compliant with their plan and are granted authority to deny comprehensive permits – which can curb unwanted and ugly developments for one or two years. The Town of Wayland is in safe harbor based on the River’s Edge Project. The Town also has two 40B projects in permitting and litigation. 24 School Street with 12 units and Cascade with 60.

The Buzz airs on Sundays and Tuesdays, at 10am and 6pm on your Public cable channel (Comcast Channel 8; Verizon Channel 37).  And online on-demand anytime at the Buzz website,  WayCAM.tv/buzz