Chilmark, MA — The stalled Peaked Hill Pastures affordable housing project surged forward this week as newly elected Select Board member Rebecca Haag took action to move the roughly $12 million development ahead for the first time in about a year.
At her first official meeting on Tuesday, Haag pushed to put the long-delayed project on the agenda, seeking clarity on its status and plans. The housing effort includes building four home units, 10 rentals, and two turnkey owner units, aiming to boost affordable housing in the community. Turnkey units are developer-built homes whose owners are chosen through a lottery system.
New momentum after year of stalling
“When I asked for this to be on the agenda, it was more like, where are we currently on this particular project?” Haag said, pointing out that two years ago the town solicited proposals from developers through a Request for Information (RFI). The only response came from the Island Housing Trust, which projected a one-year timeline to begin.
Town Administrator Timothy R. Carroll revealed that Island Housing Trust’s proposal included changes to the project design, but the town did not accept these suggested revisions. To date, the Select Board has not formally responded to the bid, leaving the project in limbo.
Funding secured but timeline tight
Despite delays, the project retains critical funding including a $900,000 state infrastructure grant valid through June 2027. Additionally, there is a smaller $72,000 seasonal community allocation for electrical design and engineering work—but that expires this coming June.
Carroll cautioned that without an approved project design and a designated owner’s project manager (OPM), it will be “very tricky” to spend the funds properly within their deadlines. Under Massachusetts state law, public projects exceeding $1.5 million must hire an OPM responsible for daily management. To date, no single person or firm has taken full responsibility, slowing progress.
Urgent search for dedicated project leadership
“None of us working on this project, staff or committee members, has the sole responsibility for this project. We all have other stuff that’s going on,” said Climate & Energy Committee member Steve Lewenberg. “This is a very important hire because we need to have a paid individual whose responsibility is to coordinate this project.”
The Chilmark Select Board aims to identify and hire an OPM within the next month to provide daily oversight and drive the project forward.
Why this matters now to California and beyond
With affordable housing shortages reaching crisis levels in California and across the United States, developments like Peaked Hill Pastures represent vital progress. The Chilmark project’s renewed momentum underlines how leadership changes, clear management roles, and strategic funding usage are essential to overcoming multi-year delays common to public housing initiatives nationwide.
The hurdles Chilmark faces—prolonged negotiations with developers, tight state funding deadlines, and the need for dedicated project oversight—mirror challenges in many California communities struggling to advance affordable housing pipelines amid bureaucratic gridlock.
What’s next: Watch for the official appointment of the owner’s project manager in the coming weeks. This hire will be critical to breaking the current deadlock, enabling construction bids, finalizing designs, and unlocking the state grants before key deadlines expire.
The $12 million Peaked Hill Pastures project could buoy community housing availability and offer a blueprint for other US towns and cities fighting to solve the affordable housing crunch immediately.
