Jennifer Lane - Manchester

Jennifer Lane Project

The Jennifer Lane is an exciting plan for affordable housing for Southwestern Vermont.

For over three years, we have been working to secure the funds to purchase and develop 11.4 acres of land on Jennifer Lane in Manchester. Jennifer Lane is located just east of the junction of Routes 7 and 30 behind Atlantic Painting.  In early March of 2011, we were finally are able to say that we OWNED the land. 

Ellis Speath and Chris Ponessi of Speath Engineering developed a plan for building as many as 22 homes on Jennifer Lane in Manchester. Half the homes will be Habitat homes built with and for families who earn no more than 60% of the median income for Bennington County, and the other half will be built by Vermont Traditional Builders and will be sold to families who earn no more than 125% of the median income.  All families liviing in these homes will meet the town of Manchester's criteria for qualifying for affordable housing.

Infrastructure Improvements - The permit from the town was secured in September 2009 and the ACT 250 permit was received in September 2010.  There is considerable infrastructure work that needs to be completed prior to building most of the homes.  A mound septic system will be built in the spring of 2012 that will serve 22 homes. We are also working to determine the sequence of completing the rest of the infrastructure work that includes; repair of the existing road, planting trees to provide screening in strategic places, and upgrading the water supply to an 8" pipe.  The infrastucture work is being coordinated by a Critical Path Committee led by Chris Cole of Cole Construction and board member and Site Committee Chair, Brian Decesare.

Note, the purple blocks on the above plan show existing homes.  The yellow blocks are the homes we expect to build over the next ten years.  An all-volunteer design committee has been working intensively since March 2010 to develop four designs that meet Habitat's criteria;

• Constructability – Homes must be designed that can be built well by volunteers. Materials will be selected for ease of assembly.
• Aesthetics – Homes should be attractive and blend in with the existing neighborhood.
• Sustainability – Homes should be durable, easy to maintain, and energy efficient. Materials will include tile and laminate flooring, a combination of dense pack cellulose and foam insulation, high quality windows, architectural shingles, and efficient mechanical systems that ensure good indoor air quality. The environmental impact of all products used will be carefully considered.
• Affordability – Homeownership costs, including mortgage, property taxes, and property insurance, must not exceed 30% of the homeowner’s annual income. These homes will remain affordable for years to come. Each home must meet or surpass Vermont’s strict energy code, will use Energy Star rated appliances, and will be equipped with water saving plumbing fixtures. Wherever possible, homes will be sited to achieve passive solar benefits.

The Design Team continues to explore new products for building green and for building highly energy efficient homes that are affordable to build and to maintain. In addition, it is important that the materials and design can be easily built by volunteers.   It is estimated that the cost of building supplies and contract labor is approximately $90,000 in 2010 prices. The overall cost is low because each of these homes will be built largely by volunteers.  Click to download PDF of Design Team brochure.

Letter to the editor of the Manchester Journal - Board member, Ellen Leeds wrote a letter that explained some aspects of the Jennifer Lane project that were not included in the article that announced the receipt of the ACT 250 permit.  Click to read the letter.

Habitat eyes building first home on Jennifer Lane - This artilce ran on the front page of the Manchester Journal on March 17, 2011