A developer wants to bring 120 new apartments to Somerset. Here's what planned.

SOMERSET — The developer behind a project that would bring 120 new apartments to Route 6 said the development would go a long way toward providing much needed housing in the town.

“I’m looking forward to somewhere down the road, looking back and saying ‘hey, you know what, we built something here that really lets more people live in this great town,’” said Marc Landry.

Landry was speaking at a Jan. 19 meeting of the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals, which is considering his proposal to construct two buildings with a combined 120 residential units on Route 6/GAR Highway.

The apartments are the final phase of a larger project Landry is behind that saw the construction of a Marriott hotel and a commercial space that houses a Starbucks and two restaurants next to where the apartments would go.

Landry told the board he initially considered building a medical or office building on the land but determined that the town had a far greater need for housing than for offices.

“It kept coming back to how expensive (housing) is and how little there is,” he said.

The project would include 66 one-bedroom, 42 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom apartments along with two parking garages. The development is a friendly 40B project, meaning that 25% of the new units would be designated “affordable,” with rent that would not require a household that brings in 80% of the median income for the area to spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

The buildings would be 48-feet high, which would require permission from the zoning board since zoning restrictions limit buildings in that area to 35 feet in height. Peter Freeman, an attorney for the project, told the board that 48 feet would make the buildings around the same height as the nearby hotel.

The project is also requesting a waiver on the required amount of parking spaces. Town zoning would require the project include 207 parking spaces, but the developer is instead looking to provide 196, which would average to 1.6 spaces per unit. Freeman said the fact than more than half the buildings in the project are one-bedrooms makes them confident that that number of parking spaces is adequate.

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The project has already secured approval from the Board of Selectman. The zoning board will hold a series of public hearings on the project over the next few months before making a decision.

During the Jan. 19 meeting, several Somerset residents who live near the project, especially on nearby Lepes Road, raised concerns about privacy on their property and potential increased traffic stemming from the project.

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Board member Joseph Finglass said Landry has proven himself during past projects to be willing to make adjustments to address specific concerns from neighbors.

“We are very well aware and cognizant of the concerns of the people on Lepes Road. We hear you; we understand what your concerns are,” he said. “Your concerns will be addressed.”

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Apartments in Somerset are in the works