The developer, Winthrop Cove Realty Trust, bought the hospital and has applied for a comprehensive permit under the state's affordable housing law. According to the law, if a project has 25% affordable housing in a town that has not met its required 10% affordable housing, a developer can bypass local zoning laws.

"The problem is by state law, they will get something in there," Ernie Gauthier, the town's building inspector, tells GlobeSt.com. "We don't have any control over it." Gauthier notes that the town does not have 10% affordable housing but he points out that because the project is only required to be 25% affordable housing it "won't make a dent" in the town reaching its requirement.

"There's no room for development in this town and I don't think it's fair to be required to have 10% [affordable housing]," he says.

Local residents are concerned with the density of the project as well as its impact on traffic in the area. Gauthier adds that the development only has 170 parking spaces planned and local laws require two spaces per unit. "This won't be decided quickly," he says.