Vermont Housing Conservation Board 2005 - Vermont Housing and ...

DUAL GOALS: RECREATION AND HOUSING IN JAY
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Selectboard member Chris Young, Gilman Housing Trust director Ed Stretch and
Town Clerk Emeline Harmon in front of one of six new homes being constructed
in Jay by the Gilman Housing Trust on land donated by the Vermont Land Trust.
Homes, Woodland and a Town Park, Too!
In the northern ski resort town of Jay, Vermont, five miles from the Canadian
border, a booming second home market is driving up the cost of land and housing.
Thanks to the philanthropy of the Vermont Land Trust (VLT), this year the
town was able to conserve 282 acres and the local nonprofit housing group will
create four affordable single-family homes in a six-lot development.
VLT donated a 20-acre parcel previously permitted for housing development
to the Gilman Housing Trust and made a bargain sale of 282 acres to the town of
Jay at 30 percent of market value. A VHCB grant helped the town of Jay with the
acqusition costs of the land and provided Gilman Housing trust with 100,000 in
purchase subsidies for the four affordable homes.
Gilman is developing “Northern Green Homes,”—six cape-style starter homes
built to high standards of energy efficiency. With additional assistance from the
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, the subsidized homes will sell to income-eligible
families at below market levels of 115,000, with restrictions to keep
the homes affordable to future buyers.
The town’s immediate goal is to establish a trail system through the community
using the two conservation parcels as anchors. Most of the land will be managed
for forestry, wildlife and recreational use—hiking, skiing and a broad range of nonmotorized
recreational uses. Limited trail access by snowmobiles may be permitted,
subject to the management plan to be developed by the town. A 35-acre area
close to the village center and Jay Elementary School has been reserved for more
intensive recreational use, including eventual development of ball fields, parking,
public gathering areas and possibly a skating rink.
Craig Line photo
“As a selectboard, we
recognize the balance
among the interests in
our town, including
those of the ski industry,
agriculture, property
owners, tourists and
business owners. We believe
by preserving these
lands, we will be better
able to strike a balance
and continue our
growth in a thoughtful,
deliberate and progressive
manner.”
—Chris Young,
Jay Selectboard
“This is a remarkable
opportunity to create
affordable home ownership
that promotes local
jobs and fits into the Jay
community. The homes
will serve working families
where household
income is far outpaced
by housing prices.”
— Ed Stretch,
Gilman Housing Trust