Matthew Klauer had intended to build a 44-room country inn on the 27-acre plot he purchased in Washington, Connecticut. Rejected by locals, Klauer is changing the plan and building 33 small homes using an affordable housing law.
"Although he still believes that an inn is the 'highest and best use' of the property, and is appealing the commission's decision in Litchfield Superior Court, the intense opposition from neighbors has left him little choice, Mr. Klauer says, but to seek an alternative designed for less affluent buyers. 'Younger families have been priced out of the market,' he declared. 'This is progressing to somewhat of a gated weekend community.'
Under the affordable housing law, in towns where less than 10 percent of housing is considered 'affordable,' developers may build more closely together than local zoning dictates if at least 30 percent of the new units are set aside for buyers earning no more than 80 percent of the area median income. In Litchfield County, that is roughly $61,500 for a family of four.
Washington weighs in at a meager 2 percent on the 'affordable housing' meter. Last year, the average sale price for a single-family home here exceeded $1 million."
Read the full story: Anti-Inn? How About 33 Homes?
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