Littleton Select Board unanimously backs Habitat for Humanity affordable duplex project

LITTLETON — October 20, 2025 — Littleton Select Board backs Habitat for Humanity duplex on town-provided lot despite zoning conflict. The board voted unanimously Monday to support construction of a two-family affordable duplex at 87 Hartwell Road, a lot sold to Habitat for Humanity for one dollar after the Littleton Affordable Housing Trust issued a request for proposals — but the project ran into a wall when neither the trust, the Planning Board, nor town counsel caught that Littleton's zoning bylaws prohibit duplexes. Habitat appeared before the Zoning Board of Appeals on October 16, where the informal straw poll was unfavorable, and is now exploring a friendly 40B comprehensive permit as an alternative. The proposed structure is approximately 2,200 square feet with a three-bedroom unit and a two-bedroom ADA-accessible unit, both deed-restricted at 60 percent of area median income or below in perpetuity. The board also voted 3-2 to deny individual town email addresses to Planning Board members, then unanimously approved a single collective address for the board's official correspondence, and ratified the promotion of firefighter Michael De Blasio to captain of fire prevention — the fifth person in that role in five years. Town Administrator Jim Duggan reported that Littleton retained its Triple-A bond rating following last week's bond call.