Ayer Housing Committee defers bylaw vote, targets spring town meeting approval

AYER -- December 18, 2020, Ayer's Affordable Housing Committee advanced a revised housing trust bylaw draft but deferred a formal vote to its January 22 meeting. Chair Janet Providakis walked members through two versions of the document, one annotated by town counsel, one consolidated final draft, accepting most of counsel's edits, including removal of redundant sections and addition of precise Massachusetts General Law citations. The committee voted to strip standing trustee language that would have included the town manager, leaving appointments to the select board with recommendations from the Affordable Housing Committee. Committee member and real estate professional Ron Morrison described a stressed local rental market, saying his office had shown one unit 222 times without finding a qualifying tenant and that two-bedroom units in Ayer now average roughly $1,800 per month. The committee also heard that NOAH, described as one of the state's largest nonprofit developers, is in active conversations with the town about a potential Chapter 40B development on the Fitchburg Road flag property, which Alicia, the town's community development staff representative, said could move Ayer toward its 10 percent affordable-unit threshold.