East Randolph Meadow
May Sprout 24 Houses
By Bill Busha
Developer Plans 24 Affordable Homes for East Randolph

A proposed development in East Randolph would add two dozen homes to the area’s stock of affordable housing, Randolph’s Development Review Board was told Tuesday evening.

At the DRB’s meeting this week, Tunbridge architect Richard Dybvig unveiled his plans to develop what he described as a "wonderful building site" off Rte 14, a parcel consisting of 18 acres of rolling farmland that looks down on a flood plain with a half-mile frontage on the Second Branch of the White River.

The location is on the southern outskirts of East Randolph village.

Each two-story house would be built on a slab, he explained, and would be situated about 80 feet from its neighbor. The houses, on lots of about 10,000 square feet, would be just under 1500 square feet in size, have two bedrooms, and feature high-efficiency construction and radiant heat.

Dybvig characterized the housing density of the project as light, pointing out that up to 80 houses might be built on a parcel that size under some circumstances.

"These homes are designed to be efficient and practical core buildings that homeowners can add on to easily in the future as their needs change with growing families," he explained. "They will be able to customize their home with things like garages, porches, or an extra room or two."

The houses would be built facing a common street, which would create an "instant" neighborhood and provide a safe and convenient place for children to play with friends.

An association of the homeowners, each with a 1/24th interest, would own the common lands of the development.

The target price for each house would be $150,000, which would translate into an $800 monthly payment with a 30-year mortgage at current interest rates, Dybvig said.

Dybvig noted that he had received the necessary permits to develop the parcel for condominiums in 1989. That plan, he said, would have resulted in six buildings with four housing units in each.

He has since come to understand, he said, that the housing the community—and Vermont—needs are homes that are both affordable and expandable to meet the needs of young people getting started in life.

About a half-dozen neighbors offered a range of objections to the proposal, including the number of dogs it would add to the valley, the safety of the planned entrance road, continued access to an adjacent snowmobile trail, and the aesthetics of the proposed house designs.

According to a 2007 report on housing and wages in Vermont issued by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, the median price of a new home in the state is $197,000 and the median income for all Vermont households is $48,500. A household with that income, the report says, could afford a home priced at about $143,500.

If all goes well, Dybvig said he would like to begin building the infrastructure this fall, with building of the homes to begin in 2008.

Dybvig has been a Tunbridge resident since 1969. He cited an assisted living facility in Williamstown and elderly housing in Chelsea as other projects on which he has worked in recent years.

After taking testimony, the DRB moved to end the public portion of the meeting and reconvene in a deliberative session—from which the public is excluded—so they could more thoroughly discuss the numerous issues that had been raised.

Their decision will be released at a later date.