By Carol Britton Meyer

The planning board this week met with the development team for the proposed townhouse complex at 25 Ipswich St. in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood. The project is proposed under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40B, the “comprehensive permit” statute that allows for projects to exceed certain zoning requirements in exchange for including affordable units.

This was not a public hearing, but an opportunity for the board to do “a technical review” to provide input to the zoning board of appeals, Chair Jeanne Paquin explained.

“There’s a lot going on in a small area,” one board member commented.

The proposal calls for 12 three-story modular units – comparable to large single-family homes – in six buildings set on the .63-acre lot, three of which will be affordable.

A site visit is scheduled for Saturday, November 2, involving the developer and planning board, ZBA, design review board, and other town officials in order for them to experience first-hand what’s proposed.

While the ZBA is the sole permit-granting authority for 40B comprehensive permits, the applicant, Hull resident Alan Mckenzie, agreed to the board’s request to attend meetings and work cooperatively with town departments and the planning and design review boards to enable the ZBA to get input about site plan and design review considerations.

The site is located in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood behind the former Veterans of Foreign Wars post off Salisbury Street near the Hull Community Garden and in the area of the Manet Community Health Center.

Despite objections raised by abutters, because Hull falls far short of meeting the state’s 10 percent affordable housing threshold from among all housing units in town – roughly 1.6% -- were the ZBA to not approve the project, the developer could appeal that decision in the housing appeals court, with a likely outcome in his favor.

Topics of discussion at the meeting included the planned gravity sewer system and retaining walls, fire department concerns, the amount of ledge that will have to be removed to make way for the development, waivers that will be requested, and the importance of the developer coming up with a lighting plan that won’t negatively impact neighbors.

There will be a lottery for the deed-restricted affordable units, with a certain percentage eligible for local preference.

Watch for full details in next week’s edition of The Hull Times.