Benfield Farms

Carlisle, Massachusetts

In conjunction with Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc., Meridian worked with the Carlisle Housing Authority to create this mixed-income affordable senior rental housing community. The architectural elements of the 26 senior housing units were designed to reflect both the agricultural roots of the community and the rural setting it occupies. The three-story building now provides much needed apartment units for the town’s seniors.

Our engineers designed the on-site waste treatment and disposal system, a public water supply well, a storage system for both domestic and fire protection water supply, and new stormwater management components. Meridian’s landscape architects utilized plantings and orchard-style vegetation to enhance the farmhouse and agricultural heritage of the development site. 

Meridian assumed the lead role in obtaining various local and state permits including the Chapter 40B Comprehensive Permit needed for the project. This permitting process required close coordination with an array of zoning, conservation, and health officials including the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. The outcome was a site design that protects the adjacent wetlands and habitat areas but still provides flexibility for future on-site public use.