Just 24 hours before a moratorium on affordable housing applications took effect in town, one developer filed an application to include affordable housing in a large condo/town house project that was already approved.
Developer Matt Zaloumis, of Central Park LLC, hopes to change an approval from the town he has for an 82-unit, 58-acre residential elderly living community between Larkay Road and Christian Street.
Zaloumis wants to instead have 164 housing units — with about 54 of the units considered affordable.
The 164 units would be spread out in 42 buildings. Forty of the buildings would contain four units each. Two buildings would have just two units.
Zaloumis also wants to get rid of the age restriction.
The developer said the economy motivated the change.
“A lot of people aren’t able to make ends meet,” he said. ​“This will give them an opportunity to have a home and be able to afford it.”
Affordable housing has been a hot-button issue in Oxford — particularly during the last election.
Some in town tried to equate affordable with section 8 vouchers.
Oxford lacks affordable housing — and already lost a lawsuit brought by an affordable housing developer.
The town is drafting rules meant to regulate where affordable housing can be placed.
In order to give themselves some breathing room while they write regulations, the town passed a moratorium on affordable housing applications.
The moratorium went into effect Feb. 25 and will expire Jan. 15, 2011.
Zaloumis’ project was originally approved by the town’s land use boards in 2004 and modifications to the plan were approved in 2006.
Pat Cocchiarella, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission said because the application was received before the moratorium start date, there isn’t much the commission can do about it.
“We have to accept the application and follow the appropriate procedure,” he said.
Cocchiarella said the commission is moving ahead with affordable housing regulation workshops next week.
The Planning and Zoning Commission will address Zaloumis’ application and set a date for a public hearing at its next meeting scheduled for March 4 at 7 p.m.