The Planning Board has unanimously approved Habitat for Humanity’s plans to construct a new affordable home at 185 Wareham Road.

During the Dec. 5 meeting with the Planning Board, President of the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity, George McTurk, received unanimous agreement for the proposed housing site plan after input came from board member Tom Magauran.

Magauran suggested the proposed 15,000 square feet housing lot accommodate 200 feet between the front of the home and Route 6.

Magauran said the recommendation would address concerns about how the lot will conform to state zoning bylaws.  After meeting this, Magauran said, he is confident the site plan could then be passed to the Zoning Board of Appeals for approval.

“Anything we can do to expedite this, I think we are all in agreement,” Magauran said.

If Habitat for Humanity pursues site plan approval through Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40B, the group can bypass local zoning bylaws.  In order for Habitat for Humanity to qualify for 40B, the group would have to meet two requirements, which Magauran said, the group has met.

First, the property would have to qualify as subsidized housing. Second, the homeowners cannot not have an income which exceeds 80 percent of the federal median income.

The Habitat for Humanity property, Magauran said, fulfills both of these requirements and therefore the group can skip Planning Board approval in favor of approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The latest site plans for the housing lot were drawn with help from board member Sherman Briggs. Briggs has been meeting with members from the Open Space Acquisition Commission, as well as Habitat for Humanity, in order to finalize the project as soon as possible.

“I’ve had many conversations with the Selectmen, and I think everyone is on board with this,” Briggs said.

The 4-acre lot was purchased by Marion during the Town Meeting in May 2009. Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Christine Lacourse said the group hopes for the property to be transferred soon. Along with needing Zoning Board of Appeals approval, Habitat for Humanity will need to pay $10,000 for the property to be transferred.

Once the change has been made to the site plans, the members of the board agreed that they could pass the project along to the Zoning Board of Appeals as early as the next Planning Board meeting on Dec. 19.