Proponents of increased residential development of the Rivercrest site, north of the College off Route 10, may have to wait another year for a town vote deciding whether the area will be rezoned.
The new development would provide more housing, including more affordable options, for Dartmouth faculty and staff.
The College has plans to expand the development, which is part of the larger Dresden village encompassing properties from Reservoir Road to areas lying north of the Chieftain Motor Inn, from the 61 existing units to a proposed 300 units.
The plan for new apartments, townhouses and single-family homes will work in conjunction with town plans to revamp the entire area.
Expansion plans may be delayed, however, if the zoning amendment that would allow development to go forward is not ready in time for residents to vote on it at a May town meeting.
According to Tim McNamara, a project manager for the Dartmouth Real Estate Office, it appeared after meeting with Hanover officials that there was insufficient progress in the town's planning for the Dresden village district to vote on the amendment this year, a delay that would force the vote to be postponed until May 2006.
"It would be a stretch to get a well thought-out proposal, but without the rezoning, we can't develop Rivercrest," McNamara said.
The Rivercrest area is a desirable spot for dense residential construction because of its proximity to the College and its already-existing municipal water and sewer lines.
If the plan goes through, residential density would grow from the current 1.8 units per acre to 8.5 units per acre.
The proposed development, however, would also provide commercial, recreational and open space and would likely lead to improved public transportation, including a strong bus route, McNamara said.
"It would be a great place to have a more dense residential population," he added.
Hanover developed a master plan to improve the Dresden village area in late 2003. After learning of Hanover's plans, the real estate office developed the conceptual plan of what the Rivercrest site might look like if developed further.
Part of the impetus to build is a desire for more affordable housing, McNamara said.
The actual cost of rent for the units is still unknown, but the goal is to make the housing affordable for most College staff and faculty.
The factors that will ultimately determine just how affordable the housing is include the density of units, construction costs and unit size.
The College continues to consider community input regarding the development.
One concern was the burden the additional residential units would put on town schools. The solution to this, McNamara said, was to phase the project so the units are built over several years.
In order to prepare town schools for an influx of new students, the College paid the Dresden School District $9 million for a new middle school and provided the land on which it would be built.
Real estate investment is a twofold mission for the College, McNamara added. Besides directly helping Dartmouth by providing faculty and staff housing, commercial real estate, such as the commercial real estate that would be part of the Rivercrest development, helps grow the endowment.
The College has owned the Rivercrest site for the past 40 years.
Currently, the site has 61 housing units, 30 duplexes and one single-family home.
Residents include College faculty and staff as well as Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center employees.
