Norwell Receives $700,000 in ARPA Funds, Explores Affordable Housing

Select Board accepts federal funds for key projects, moves forward with due diligence on Carlton property development

NORWELL, MA - August 21 - The Norwell Select Board accepted over $700,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from Plymouth County during their Aug. 21 meeting. The funds will be used for several key town projects, including a replacement truck, new ambulance, school internal door safety, and school technology upgrades.

Jared Valanzola, Chairman of the Plymouth County Commissioners, presented the funds to the board. "We are closing in on sunsetting this program," Valanzola said, noting that all ARPA funds must be committed by Dec. 31.

Valanzola highlighted the county's efficient management of the ARPA program, stating, "We are still trending with ARPA at 1% administrative cost. That means more money for Norwell." He contrasted this with the national average of 7% to 10% administrative costs.

Select Board Chair Jason Brown expressed gratitude for the county's efforts, saying, "This has been, through the whole process, an easy lift, not filled with lots of bureaucratic red tape."

In other business, the board voted to move forward with due diligence on a potential small affordable housing project at the Carleton property. The project would involve a single two-and-a-half story building with commercial space on the first floor and eight one-bedroom units on the second floor.

Ilana Quirk, Director of Planning, presented the project details. "It's about three point nine acres of land outside of the wetlands buffer that's required. So it's really a very small parcel of land," Quirk explained.

The project aims to maintain the visual character of the area and adhere to existing dimensional setbacks. Quirk noted that the due diligence process is expected to take about six months, including perk testing, wetlands delineation, survey, and concept planning.

Board member Brian Greenberg expressed support for the project, saying, "I think this is really like a very first step to get all of the on-the-ground work done to the point where we can even have greater discussions about what could be done there."

The project may pursue funding from the recently signed Affordable Homes Act. Quirk mentioned the possibility of incorporating net-zero or green building design to reduce operational costs.

"One of the things that likely we would need to do in order to be eligible for that money is to do a net zero or really green kind of project," Quirk said.