Our goal is to secure all permits in the next 6-12 months. We expect construction, including the expansion of the golf course as well as new recreational facilities, to span another 12 to 18 months.

Before the property was purchased by Rowley Farms in 2022, much of the area had been scarred by long forgotten businesses that left abandoned vehicles and leftover buildings from old mink farming and fish processing operations.

Rowley Farms is taking responsibility to clean up the property, including in the sensitive areas of the town’s Well Water Protection District.

Come visit and talk to us! We hold frequent public informational sessions at the Club to hear the ideas and concerns of our neighbors and to answer questions. We know paramount concerns include increased traffic, strain on infrastructure, and protecting our natural resources, especially water. We will continue to welcome public input as this process continues.

We have assembled a team of experts in mixed use communities, water treatment and usage, golf course design specifically known for their environmental work.  Even before a shovel is put in the ground, our team has done exhaustive studies on traffic patterns, water flow, the topography of the land – scientific research now available to the town for use even beyond this project.Please visit our“Resource” section for more information.

We recently announced an exciting collaboration with Anonymous Brewing. This marks a significant milestone in our plans to revive the beloved Back Nine Tavern and is just one of many partnerships we aim to develop with local businesses moving forward.

Over the last 3 years, Rowley Farms Development LLC has worked with town officials, committees, and residents, to seek alternatives to single family zoning development over their 330 acres centered around the Rowley Country Club. The table below compares the potential fiscal impact to the Town of Rowley from two development scenarios: Current Zoning for Single-Family Homes vs 3A Mixed-Use Zoning.

The Single-Family Homes development estimates lower revenues and substantially higher school costs, creating a fiscal outcome loss for the
By Right development project of -$2,621,616.

The 3A Mixed Use development estimates higher tax revenues and lower projected school costs, creating a positive fiscal outcome for the 3A
development project of $1,757,709.

Chapter 40B is a state statute that enables local Zoning Boards of Appeals to approve affordable housing developments under flexible rules if at least 20-25% of the units have long-term affordability restrictions. It was enacted in 1969 to help address the shortage of affordable housing statewide by reducing unnecessary barriers created by local approval processes, local zoning, and other restrictions.These projects can sometimes be contentious, as they do not require community buy-in.

LIP is another program that encourages the creation of affordable housing but unlike a 40B is designed to foster local control and support. Rowley Farms is being developed under an LIP. It requires town boards to first approve the development plan before it is sent to the State Department of Housing and Community for approval. An LIP creates an opportunity for negotiation and compromise between the developer and the town, resulting in mutually agreeable changes. This initial collaboration and public involvement from the outset is the reason why an LIP is often referred to as a “Friendly” 40B.

Section 3A, also known as MBTA Communities Zoning, is a relatively new law that requires communities near MBTA lines to have multifamily affordable housing to make it easier for people to use public transit. We believe Rowley Farm can help Rowley meet its 3A obligation.