North Star Group, Inc.

19901 Quail Circle

Fairhope AL 36532

701-770-9118

michaelh@nsgia.com

Serenity Village Site Candidates in Rural

New England

Identifying suitable rural or exurban municipalities for a Serenity Village aﬀordable housing

concept requires balancing low existing aﬀordable housing (to leverage Chapter 40B or similar

ﬂexibility) with presence of public housing agencies and available land. Below we present ﬁve

recommended municipalities in Massachusetts and New England, each with low subsidized

housing inventory (SHI under 10%), an active Housing Authority or similar agency, and sizable

sites (greenﬁeld, brownﬁeld, or adaptive reuse) capable of hosting 100+ unit, low-density

developments with community amenities. Table 1 summarizes key metrics for each location.

Town (State)

SHI % (Aﬀordable

Units)

Public Housing

Authority

Potential Redevelopment Site

Belchertown

(MA)

~6% (376 of 6,301

units) thereminder.c

Belchertown

Housing

Authority (yes)

Former State School campus – ~90

acres “Carriage Grove” loopnet.com

Townsend

(MA)

~4% (145 of 3,545

units) mass.gov

Townsend

Housing

Authority (yes)

Town-owned South Row Rd parcel

(~18.7 ac; conceptual 10-building

plan) thelocallens.org

Serenity Village at Palestine, Texas

______________________________________________

Templeton

(MA)

~7% (222 of 3,148

units) mass.gov

Templeton

Housing

Authority (yes)

Former Templeton Developmental

Center – 2,600 ac state

land en.wikipedia.org

Wareham

(MA)

~7.4% (804 of

10,806

units) mass.gov

Wareham

Housing

Authority (yes)

Vacant Decas School (760 Main St.) –

109,000 sf bldg on ~20

ac wareham.theweektoday.com

Berlin (NH)

(Low; no SHI

measure, <10% est.)

Berlin Housing

Authority (yes)

Brownﬁelds (e.g. former paper mill

site) ~25+ ac; vacant historic prison

site

Each of these communities oﬀers a low-density environment and basic infrastructure (roads,

power, etc.), along with a local authority or partner for housing. Below we provide a narrative

proﬁle of each municipality and the speciﬁc site opportunity, with supporting data and sources.

Belchertown, Massachusetts – Former State School Campus

Belchertown is a rural town in Western Massachusetts (Hampshire County) with only about 6% of

its housing counted as aﬀordable thereminder.com (below the 10% Chapter 40B threshold). The

Belchertown Housing Authority operates some senior housing, but the town remains well under

its aﬀordable housing goal thereminder.com. Notably, Belchertown hosts the former Belchertown

State School property – an 876-acre institutional campus that closed in

1992 en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org. A portion of this vast site (now called “Carriage Grove”)

has been targeted for redevelopment in partnership with the town’s Economic Development

Industrial Corp. and MassDevelopment. In 2024 the Planning Board approved a 108-unit rental

housing development on a 12-acre portion of the site thereminder.com, which will help raise the

town’s SHI from ~6% toward the 10% goal. This project is Phase 1 of a larger master plan. The

Carriage Grove master plan covers ~90 acres of the State School land and envisions mixed uses

(senior living, commercial, and multifamily residential) loopnet.com, indicating ample remaining

land for additional housing and community facilities. The presence of a large, state-owned

brownﬁeld site with existing infrastructure (internal roads, utilities) and supportive local agencies

makes Belchertown a prime candidate. A Serenity Village could potentially be developed on

________________________________________________

19901 Quail Circle

Fairhope AL 36532

701-770-9118

michaelh@nsgia.com

Serenity Village at Palestine, Texas

______________________________________________

remaining parcels of the campus in a joint venture with the town/EDIC, complementing the new

rental units with a low-density, community-centric neighborhood (e.g. cottage-style or quadruplex

homes with gardens).

Townsend, Massachusetts – Town Housing Authority Land

Townsend is a small exurban town in north-central Massachusetts (Middlesex County) with only

~4% aﬀordable housing thelocallens.org. The Townsend Housing Authority, though small, has

been active in developing senior housing. It built the Atwood Acres and Townsend Woods

projects, totaling 86 aﬀordable elderly units by 2011 townsendma.gov, and in 2015 the town

created an Aﬀordable Housing Trust and a DHCD-approved Housing Production

Plan townsendma.gov to identify new development opportunities. Townsend’s PHA does not

currently own excess land townsendma.gov, but the town itself holds signiﬁcant parcels. In

particular, an 18.75-acre town-owned tract on South Row Road has been earmarked for

aﬀordable housing since a 2006 plan cms3.revize.com. In recent Aﬀordable Housing Trust

meetings (2023), a conceptual plan for mixed housing (townhouses/apartments in 10

buildings) on this parcel was discussed thelocallens.org. While there are concerns about

extending septic or sewer capacity for the site thelocallens.org, the land size is suﬃcient for a

Serenity Village with 100+ units at low density. Townsend has basic infrastructure (state routes,

electric, and some broadband) and is within commuting range of the Nashua, NH area. Given the

town’s proactive stance (the Trust is actively seeking developers and even exploring forestry

revenue on other town land to support housing thelocallens.org), Townsend represents a willing

partner. A Serenity Village here could leverage town-owned land via a ground lease or

partnership, helping Townsend boost its SHI while creating a community hub with on-site

agriculture and gathering spaces.

Templeton, Massachusetts – Redevelopment of Historic

State Campus

Templeton, located in north-central Massachusetts (Worcester County), has an aﬀordable housing

rate around 7% mass.gov. The Templeton Housing Authority manages some local low-income

units in the Baldwinville section, but the town’s most signiﬁcant opportunity lies in the vast

Templeton Developmental Center property. This former state institution (also known as

________________________________________________

19901 Quail Circle

Fairhope AL 36532

701-770-9118

michaelh@nsgia.com

Serenity Village at Palestine, Texas

______________________________________________

Templeton Farm Colony) was closed in 2015 and encompasses an area of roughly 2,600 acres in

Templeton en.wikipedia.org – including farmland, woodlands, and dozens of buildings (some on

the National Register of Historic Places). The campus was once essentially a self-contained

village for its residents, with working farms and dormitories en.wikipedia.org. Today, much of this

state-owned land could be repurposed. The site’s scale and history make it ideal for a Serenity

Village concept: there are opportunities for adaptive reuse of historic structures (for community

space or housing) as well as greenﬁeld construction on former farm ﬁelds. A development could

easily accommodate 100 or more housing units in a colony layout, and dedicate acreage to

community gardens or agriculture – essentially reviving the farm colony spirit for a modern

aﬀordable eco-village. Any project here would likely involve state agencies (for land disposition)

and local oﬃcials. Importantly, Templeton’s low-density character (population ~8,000 over four

villages) and below-10% SHI means a 40B comprehensive permit or similar mechanism could be

used to expedite zoning approvals mass.gov. With road access via Baldwinville and basic utilities

in parts of the campus, Templeton oﬀers a rare combination of large available land and rural

community need.

Wareham, Massachusetts – Vacant School and Community

Facilities

Wareham is a South Coast Massachusetts town (Plymouth County) that, despite having about

7.4% of its housing aﬀordable mass.gov (under 40B thresholds), still faces housing needs

especially for low-income residents. The Wareham Housing Authority owns at least 104 units of

public elderly housing (at Agawam Village and Redwood Park) and some family

units wareham.ma.us, but most of Wareham’s housing stock is single-family or seasonal. A

signiﬁcant opportunity in Wareham is the John W. Decas School property. This former elementary

school (approx. 50,000–100,000 sq ft building) sits on a parcel of about 20–25 acres on Main

Street. The school was left vacant in Jan 2022 after a new elementary

opened wareham.theweektoday.com. Studies by the regional planning agency (SRPEDD) found

the site suitable for redevelopment, possibly for commercial or community use, and a local group

has proposed a community center wareham.theweektoday.com. In the interim, the town has

allowed a regional transit agency to utilize the building temporarily wareham.theweektoday.com.

This large site – with an existing building, parking, and utility hookups (town sewer and water,

given its previous school use) – is a prime candidate for conversion to a mixed-use aﬀordable

housing community. A Serenity Village plan here could adapt the school building into community

________________________________________________

19901 Quail Circle

Fairhope AL 36532

701-770-9118

michaelh@nsgia.com

Serenity Village at Palestine, Texas

______________________________________________

center space or loft-style apartments, and use the surrounding land for new cottage-style homes

or duplexes. The property’s central location means residents would have access to town

infrastructure and services. Wareham’s leadership is actively considering the future of Decas;

turning it into an aﬀordable “agrihood” style village with gardens and a community hub could

align with several goals (reusing a brownﬁeld, increasing aﬀordable units, and providing public

amenities). Given Wareham’s moderate growth and below-target SHI, a comprehensive permit for

this project would be feasible and likely supported wareham.theweektoday.com.

Berlin, New Hampshire – Mill City Revival Opportunity

Berlin is a small city in northern New Hampshire that has seen signiﬁcant economic decline and

population loss, but it retains the infrastructure of a larger town. Berlin’s aﬀordable housing stock

is limited (New Hampshire does not calculate SHI exactly, but Berlin’s median income and

housing costs indicate a shortage of deed-restricted units). The Berlin Housing Authority

manages some public housing and ~285 Section 8 vouchers aﬀordablehousing.com, yet many of

Berlin’s residents rely on aging, privately-owned housing. A bold opportunity for a Serenity

Village exists in Berlin’s abundant vacant land and buildings from its industrial past. One example

is the former pulp and paper mill sites along the Androscoggin River. Several mill complexes

were demolished in the 2000s, leaving large brownﬁeld parcels near downtown. For instance,

the site of the old pulp mill oﬀ Main Street oﬀers dozens of acres of open, ﬂat land with rail and

road access – suitable for a campus of new homes, greenhouses, and community facilities.

Additionally, Berlin’s historic State Prison facility (1903–2007) in the urban core is now closed

and could be repurposed; it occupies several acres and its solid structures could potentially be

converted to community use or loft housing. While coordination with state agencies would be

needed for the prison site, the city has expressed interest in redevelopment to revitalize its tax

base. Berlin features city utilities (water, sewer, power) and even a municipal broadband network

in development, making it attractive for a self-contained village. A Serenity Village in Berlin would

beneﬁt from low land costs and strong local desire for reinvestment. The project could tap into

adaptive reuse (honoring the city’s architectural heritage) and urban agriculture (Berlin has

underutilized open land that could support community gardens despite its northern climate).

Importantly, New Hampshire has an inclusionary housing appeal law similar to 40B (RSA

674:58-61), so Berlin’s lack of aﬀordable units could help in permitting a large project. Partnering

with the Berlin Housing Authority and city planners, a Serenity Village here could become a

________________________________________________

19901 Quail Circle

Fairhope AL 36532

701-770-9118

michaelh@nsgia.com

Serenity Village at Palestine, Texas

______________________________________________

cornerstone of Berlin’s renaissance, providing modern aﬀordable homes and community space

on lands that have lain fallow since the end of the paper industry.

References

● Massachusetts DHCD Subsidized Housing Inventory (2023) – Aﬀordable units and SHI

percentages by town mass.gov mass.gov.

● Belchertown State School Redevelopment news: The Reminder (Feb 2024) – 108-unit

project approval, town at ~6% aﬀordable thereminder.com.

● MassDevelopment/LoopNet – Carriage Grove Master Plan (~90 acres mixed-use) at

former Belchertown State School loopnet.com.

● Townsend Housing Authority – history of Atwood Acres & Townsend Woods (86

units) townsendma.gov; Aﬀordable housing stock ~4% thelocallens.org.

● Townsend Aﬀordable Housing Trust – conceptual 10-building housing plan on 18.7-acre

South Row Rd parcel (2023 meeting) thelocallens.org.

● Templeton Developmental Center Wikipedia – state campus closed 2015, ~2,600 acres

area en.wikipedia.org.

● Wareham Week (Dec 2023) – Decas School vacant since 2022, interim use and reuse

studies in progress wareham.theweektoday.com wareham.theweektoday.com.

● Connecticut DOH Aﬀordable Housing Appeals List (2022) – Putnam (for comparison) at

12.63% aﬀordable (543 units of 4,299) portal.ct.gov.

● Berlin, NH – City data (Census 2020) ~4,700 housing units data.census.gov; Berlin

Housing Authority vouchers aﬀordablehousing.com. (Additional local knowledge used for

Berlin site characteristics; oﬃcial citations limited).

________________________________________________

19901 Quail Circle

Fairhope AL 36532

701-770-9118

michaelh@nsgia.com

Serenity Village at Palestine, Texas

______________________________________________

________________________________________________

19901 Quail Circle

Fairhope AL 36532

701-770-9118

michaelh@nsgia.com