ROCKPORT -- The eyesore that is 5 Granite St. may sprout new affordable housing units within the next several years if plans move ahead, said Harborlight Community Partners Executive Director Andrew DeFranza.

DeFranza said the Beverly-based nonprofit organization, which aims to provide affordable housing and community support services, has been in extensive discussion with nearby neighbors to iron out any wrinkles and gain consensus for a plan amenable to everyone. The 1.32-acre lot was formerly home to a series of landscaping and greenhouse businesses.

"We had our first neighbor meeting in mid-December," DeFranza said. "Since that time we have focused primarily on responding to and meeting with near abutters to make sure we were responding to issues important to them."

Harborlight has scaled back some of the proposed units, and height of one building, according to DeFranza.

"As it stands now, we hope to have six senior units and two family units that are based on the person or household income," DeFranza said. "The person or persons would pay 30 percent of their income. If a senior person had for example $15,000 per year in Social Security, they would pay $375 per month."

The remaining 11 senior units would likely be rented for less than $850 and would include utilities, and the remaining three-bedroom units would be around $1,250, with the single two-bedroom unit around $1,075, according to DeFranza.

In addition to neighbors, Harborlight has made contact with key town boards.

"We talked briefly with the Board of Selectmen about doing some more affordable housing in town in addition to our work with Pigeon Cove Ledges and Rockport High School Apartments," DeFranza said. "We met with some representatives of the Planning Board and are slated to meet formally with the entire board in the near future."

Harborlight representatives have also talked with Rockport police and fire officials to get their feedback on the concept.

And there's more talk to come over the estimated 21/2 years it might take to bring the project to fruition.

"From here we will continue meeting with abutters to refine the design with an emphasis on landscaping and lighting," DeFranza said. "We will also continue meeting with town boards and committees to make sure we are working any other key elements into the design."

He held up a drawing by the architectural firm of Siemasko + Verbridge of Beverly that shows the current concept, and as Harborlight continues to talk with and work with various stakeholders, the design will likely evolve and improve, DeFranza said.

The buildings would fit into the neighborhood architecturally with their historic clapboard and shingle style.

The project is aimed to allow seniors to remain in the place they love.

"Our plan and hope would be to continue our partnerships to create strong supportive housing models that allow seniors to age in place," he said. "This could involve partners like Senior Care and Element Care who are responsible for state and federal elder home care respectively. It would also involve a group like Associated Home Care or Action Inc. to help deliver the services."

At the selectmen's last meeting, Harborlight received approximately $24,000, which covers fiscal 2016 and 2017, from the HOME Consortium.

Each year, about $2 million from the Federal Home Investment Partnerships or HOME program for projects on the North Shore is awarded to eligible HOME-funded activities that include the construction of new affordable housing units, First Time Homebuyer Downpayment Assistance, Housing Rehabilitation, and tenant-based rental assistance for very low-income households.

The cost of acquiring the property runs to about half a million dollars, DeFranza said.

Harborlight already has two well-known sites it owns and manages in Rockport -- Rockport High School Apartments on Broadway, a 31-unit, fixed-income elderly housing property, and Pigeon Cove Ledges on Curtis Street that has 30 one-bedroom apartments, four of which are handicapped-accessible for fixed-income elders.

Dimitra Lavrakas may be reached at 978-675-2708 or dlavrakas@gloucestertimes.com.

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