ERVING — Town officials intend to finalize their request for proposals (RFP) for a senior housing development on Care Drive during the Senior Housing Committee’s next meeting on July 20, with hopes to release it this summer.

The town will seek proposals from prospective contractors for the development of between 30 and 60 affordable rental housing units on roughly 6.47 acres of town-owned land that would be restricted to residents ages 62 and up. Such development has been a “long-term goal” for Erving since the town acquired the land in 1996, according to the draft RFP.

The draft received what is expected to be its final series of revisions during Monday’s joint meeting of the Senior Housing Committee and the Selectboard.

“Over the past six months or so, we’ve been really reworking this and we feel like we have a finished product now,” Town Planner Mariah Kurtz said.

The targeted parcel, which lies just north of the library and the Erving Senior & Community Center, would be provided to the developer via a long-term ground lease with deed restrictions, according to the draft RFP.

“The town is seeking affordability by design (energy efficiency, maintenance and sustainability) in addition to affordability by deed restriction,” the draft RFP details, noting that 35% of the units must be “deed-restricted to persons earning, at a maximum, 60% of Franklin County area median income, and must meet the requirements for inclusion on the town’s Subsidized Housing Inventory.”

“The development should be responsive to the Erving community’s needs and provide housing for low- to moderate-income seniors,” the draft continues. “For this reason, the town favors proposals that are intentionally designed to be age-friendly and adaptable to households at different stages of their lives.”

The town requests that the architecture complement “the aesthetics of the Erving Senior & Community Center and Erving Public Library while also taking into account broader rural design vernacular, and be a stellar example of superior design.” Officials also stressed their intention to be “as non-prescriptive as possible” to encourage design creativity and innovation.

The RFP will mandate on-site laundry, while preferable amenities include community spaces such as a shared kitchen, dining room and lounge area; an outdoor gathering space such as a deck or patio; tenant storage; and more. Senior Housing Committee member Jacquelyn Boyden said once everything is developed, there should be a “campus-like feel” to the land.

The Senior Housing Committee will reconvene on Thursday, July 20, at 1 p.m. at the Senior & Community Center to affirm minor tweaks made to the draft RFP. Committee members will also set dates for opening and closing the RFP period.

Even once a developer is chosen, it will be a while until the project is complete, Kurtz said. The developer must finish the design phase, apply for funding (a process Kurtz said could take “multiple years”) and have the senior housing development constructed.

“While we’re all excited to be at this point,” she said, “it’s also still a long road ahead of us.”

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.

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