Above: A rendering of the Frenchtown Road Apartments.
The structure is going up on land just west of Route 4
Editor’s note: This story has been updated since it was originally posted.
Nine years after the private arm of the EG Housing Authority first started working on developing an affordable housing project on Frenchtown Road, that project is now under construction on a 3-acre parcel just west of Route 4 on land formerly owned by the state Department of Transportation.
The 63 apartments will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units (30 and 33 respectively) in a single, four-story building. While the original concept was a 55-and-older complex, the state Department of Housing vetoed that plan, saying more housing for families was needed. So, the complex now has those two-bedroom units. Still, vestiges of the original idea remain as there will be some amenities such as a communal dining room, a fitness center and designated areas for visiting specialists (podiatry, Medicare, etc.).
Vehicles coming out of the complex will not be allowed to turn left onto Frenchtown Road. There will be 90 parking spaces onsite.
Cove Homes is the private nonprofit arm of EGHA; it is partnering with Pennrose, a private developer specializing in this type of development. Pennrose will manage the complex. These apartments will be for people on a lower or middle-range income. You can find out more about the complex and possible income levels on the website HERE.
According to EGHA Executive Director Tracy Johnson, demand for lower income housing is high. There are 24 people on the waiting list for EGHA’s public housing units (16 units at Marlborough Crossing and 12 units at Dedford Farms). EGHA also manages Shoreside Apartments, which has nearly 100 people on a waiting list, and 2880 South County Trail. In addition, EGHA has some landlords in town who accept Section 8 vouchers; there is a state-administered list of nearly 13,000 people hoping to get a Section 8 voucher, including some percentage (unknown at the time of posting) of people who are looking to live in East Greenwich.
To learn more about EGHA, check out their website HERE.
Land being readied for Frenchtown Road Apartments in August 2023.
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What is the traffic pattern going to be?
I will find out.
According to EGHA, the state Dept. of Transportation will not allow left turns into or out of the complex.
So the only way to get into the complex is from Frenchtown Road heading towards Route 2. And that is the only way out of the complex.
That is going to create such a traffic problem at the west end of the Frenchtown bridge over Route 4, which is already a mess between 4PM and 6PM.
So the cars coming out of the complex will probably going to cut through Meadowbrook rd to make the flip back to to Frenchtown rd going east. How come none of us on Meadowbrook rd where even notified about this project?
Traffic is a mess in that area of Frenchtowm Road now – as well as Rte 2. I can’t imagine what this development is going to cost us in terms of addtional traffic and town services. What impact are all if these planned going to have on this town long term?
This sounds like a typical snob East Greenwich resident response. It’s sick that EG is behind on affordable housing like the rest of this state.
Hello. The article states that the building is three stories, but the picture shows four. Has there been a revision? Thank you.
You are right! The original plan called for three stories. Thanks for pointing that out! The article has been updated.
There was very little housing built in East Greenwich after the 2008 economic crash and the state mandate from 1991, required that towns reach the 10% affordable goal. That lack of building, for about 10 years, created a deficit within the town. There is demand for affordable housing in East Greenwich and across the state and Northeast. Approximately 25% of recent housing sales within the state, and that includes East Greenwich, are from people who are moving into town from other states. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/16/real-estate/the-wave-of-home-buyers-to-rhode-island-hasnt-crested/ I would encourage residents to attend meetings of EG’s Affordable Housing Commission which is an advisory board to understand recent trends in housing. https://eastgreenwichri.com/480/Affordable-Housing-Commission
Ms. Englehart,
How much has changed since 1991?
Back then the Town Council certainly wasn’t a uniform political demographic and it hadn’t been 15+ years since the last comprehensive traffic survey!
The council is voted on to represent constituents. Board members should be vetted by that council and also represent the public’s best interest. If it was not for some very verbal neighbors and threats of lawyers it sounds like the town would have approved the 410-unit Division Road project as well — which is nearly universally opposed by residents in this town.
Rather than approving these projects under the cover of a truly archaic “10%” number, the council should be taking a hard look at how all this building effects population growth and everything else downstream: schools, roads, emergency services, etc.
Hope the voters remember these approvals when you also ask for $150 million this fall to damage our neighborhood school system.
Already anticipating the committee meetings when the Ask for MORE $$$ comes “because the school designs didn’t account for of all the new buildings.”
Maybe the developers should commit to funding such in advance rather than being allowed to rape green spaces for their own profit at the expense of the rest of the voters losing East Greenwich’s identity.
I am so glad that there will be 63 more opportunities for seniors and families to remain in East Greenwich. Too many times East Greenwich High School graduates must move out of town due .to lack of affordable housing. There are many families that need housing with support services for their parents. Now those parents can downsize and remain in EG with friends and family support.
Where can you put in a application for one of the apartments?
Those interested in learning more about the building, developments or to get on a list when they will be distributing applications can go to the Pennrose website: Frenchtown Road (pennrose.com).