Abrem Quary 40B underway and selling houses
BY PETER B. BRACE
Twenty-eight houses for Nantucketers should be constructed by July 2007 at the Abrem Quary 40B development off South Shore Road.

Laid out between Field and Folger avenues, the 28-unit Abrem Quary 40B development off the southeast side of South Shore Road will be putting up houses in January, hoping to complete them all by July.

Cliff Schorer, Managing Director of Nantucket Homes for People, Inc., said last week that construction is underway on Folger Avenue and that he expects modular homes from Keiser Building Systems of South Paris, Maine to start arriving in a few weeks.

"The site work is progressing and we are beginning our sewer installation," said Schorer. "We had a hearing last night [Wednesday night] with the selectmen regarding a letter for our sewer permit but otherwise, we're basically moving along."

Construction of the houses as they are delivered is likely to begin just after the first of the year.

"Barring unforeseen circumstances, the first houses start arriving the end of this month," Schorer added.

Abrem Quary, the new name for what had been called the Compass Rose 40B affordable housing project

and which is commonly spelled Abram, had been hung up in litigation for six years before getting the green light to begin construction this year. The 3.6- acre 40B development of 28 units got unanimous approval from the ZBA in April 2001. Most of its courtroom dealings stemmed from neighbors who wanted the density of the development lowered and did not like the conditions of approval granted to Nantucket Homes for People by the ZBA.

With that process behind him, Schorer is still scratching his head over what he perceives to be a wide gap between Nantucket's desire to provide affordable housing and its actual efforts to do so.

"Despite the protestation to the contrary about affordable housing, I have not seen the dedication that has been talked about by the community," he said. "Cleary there is a disconnect by all parties that affordable housing is necessary and that affordable housing must be built."

That is where Windwalker Real Estate is trying to make a difference toward putting working class yearround islanders in their own homes. Eight of the houses will be affordable under state affordable housing regulations, but Nantucket Homes for People has yet to release those sale prices. The other 20 are costing $463,000 to $490,000.

Alan Worden, president of Windwalker Real Estate, which is facilitating the sale of the market-rate units for Nantucket Homes for People, said that his company's contribution is helping to keep the market-rate units as cheap as possible by waiving his sales associates' six-percent commission on the sale of each market-rate unit, earning just enough to cover his administrative costs.

"It's not the total answer, but boy, it helps a lot," said Worden. "This is a huge commitment for people, but it is achievable with two incomes."

Worden added that Windwalker is in the process of accepting applications for the 20 units and that he believes the first 14 families have been informed that they would be getting their houses. Although Windwalker is now in a second round of accepting applications, Schorer confirmed that they have more applications than houses available, but interested Nantucketers can still apply for the remaining houses by contacting either Beth Maier or Tom Weinstock at Windwalker Real Estate. "The families we selected, they are

people who are committed to the island, they are wonderful families," said Worden. "This is not a lowincome project, this is going to be a wonderful community."

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