SANDWICH – A meeting focused on the proposed senior housing development project at the Henry T. Wing School site will be held Monday, March 2, at Sandwich Town Hall.
Town Planner Ralph Vitacco said the session will provide an opportunity to clarify what is happening with the site to residents.
“There’s still a lot of misconceptions as to what exactly the proposal’s going to be,” Vitacco said.
Stratford Capital Group, a company interested in developing the housing project, wants to buy the Wing school property for $1.3 million.
They would then build a housing development for seniors worth approximately $53 million across the 6.2 acre property.
Stratford also requested community preservation funds totaling $2.6 million, which would go towards demolition work.
All buildings, with the exception of the red brick “1927 Building” would be taken down. Athletic fields and the majority of the parking spots around the school would be kept intact.
The Sandwich Finance Committee has backed the project, after Vitacco and other town officials tasked with reviewing the proposal recommended the Stratford plan in November.
Selectmen have advanced the proposal to a special town meeting, which is scheduled for March 23.
“We want to give the voters as much information on the project, so they can make an informed decision at Special Town Meeting,” Vitacco said.
The development project would create 128 apartments available to rent for those 62 and over. Most of the units would be for residents with low to moderate incomes. Around 20 units would be offered at market rates.
Vitacco expects that the project would provide the town with roughly $128,000 in taxes annually.
Work on the Stratford project, if it is approved by voters, would not begin until at least 2022.
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