Developer Rick Vayo’s proposal to build 24 one-bedroom apartments classified as affordable across from the library on South Street ran into opposition from speakers at a Planning Board meeting Wednesday night.
Twenty-one neighbors and other Plymouth residents spoke at the meeting, all of them in opposition to the plan, which already has support from four town boards.
Many of the speakers said the complex, whose driveway would be off Braley Lane, could worsen traffic problems at the intersection.
Vayo, who owns the firm Megryco, wants to demolish a two-family home in disrepair on the overgrown lot at 131-133 South St., on the corner of Braley Lane. In its place, he plans to build a two-story building with one-bedroom apartments.
Plymouth residents would have priority status for securing an apartment. Twenty would be available to people who earn up to 80 percent of the Boston-area median income. The other four would be rented at deeper discounts.
Vayo said during a June meeting of the Community Preservation Committee that rent for units available to people earning up 80 percent of the area’s median income would be about $2,300 a month, including utilities, compared with a market rate of $2,800.
Two additional units would be available to people who make up to 60 percent of area median income, and two more would be set aside for people who earn up to 30 percent. Vayo did not provide estimates for how much those units would rent for.
All the apartments would be subsidized by taxpayer money.
The project has the support of the Community Preservation Committee, which has recommended that the Oct. 19 Town Meeting approve $3.2 million in Community Preservation funds for the project, the Plymouth Center Steering Committee, the Advisory and Finance Committee, and the Select Board.
But it quickly became apparent at Wednesday’s meeting that many neighbors oppose it.
India Waldron, who lives in the neighborhood, said she worries about getting hit every time she drives through the intersection.
“We have a lot of accidents on that crossway,” she said. “It’s not safe.”
Waldron noted that Braley Lane is just 18 feet wide.
“It seems to me that Plymouth is trying to build on any little [parcel] they have,” said Kathy Lalonde, another neighbor.
Rob Carlezon, also a neighbor, suggested that if the project is approved, the town should install traffic lights at Braley Lane and South Street, in addition to pedestrian signal crossings, turning lanes, and bike lanes.
Several neighbors said apartments residents might park on the street. Vayo said leases would prohibit street parking.
As part of the plan, Vayo proposes adding 32 parking spots. He said that based on his experience, one-bedroom units typically need 1.3 parking spaces. He offered to add another five guest parking spots if required.
Steve Bolotin, chair of the Planning Board, recognized that traffic safety is an overriding issue. Megryco has commissioned a traffic impact report, but did not submit it before the meeting. Bolotin said he was not comfortable voting on the project before reading the report.
“Traffic calming is going to be essential to development on South Street,” he said.
Vayo said he has agreed to work with the Department of Public Works and promised to rework the intersection, adding a sidewalk on Braley Lane as well as a space where students can wait for school buses.
Vayo told the Independent that Megryco and the town would change the curb cut dramatically so that vehicles approaching South Street from Braley Lane would have to slow down. He said stop signs are a possibility if the DPW determines they are needed.
Despite his concerns about traffic, Bolotin argued that the town needs more affordable housing, which requires density to make it profitable for developers.
“The residents have talked a lot about density,” Bolotin said. “We have a terrible fear of density in this town, but as we talk about affordable housing, the problem always is that we want to keep things very, very open, very, very spacious, very unbuilt, and that makes them more expensive.”
The board decided to continue the hearing on Oct. 9 to give members a chance to read the traffic impact report before voting on the project.
Fred Thys can be reached at fred@plymouthindependent.org.