After years of push and pull with the town and residents, Bay Watch Realty received approval for its affordable housing development, and as of August, the 60-apartment complex known as Marion Village Estates, was finished.

For the town, the completed buildings mean an increased tax base and new residents, but otherwise, the development’s completion doesn’t seem to have made many waves.

Thirty-six homes are still be built in the lots behind Brew Fish.

According to developer Ken Steen, the state’s 40B affordable housing regulation gave preference be given to Marion residents in the lottery to select occupants for the 60-units, a mixture of one-, two- and three -bedroom apartments. He said all of the units are currently occupied.

It is not known how many of the residents already called Marion home, but Marion’s Town Clerk has 48 residents on record for the apartments, including 35 who are 16 or older.

Sippican School has 20 students from Village Estates, according to Principal Lyn Rivet, though she did not have numbers as to how many of the kids were already Marion residents.

The development did prompt the school to change two bus routes to accommodate the new stop.

Overall, Sippican School saw 43 new students this year, prompting the addition of a kindergarten teacher and a third grade teacher to keep class numbers manageable.

“The class sizes are pretty much what has always been expected in the school,” said Rivet.

Beyond the larger school population, the town will see a larger tax base as a result of the housing complex.

The vacant land, which comprised three lots, was assessed at $985,400 and brought in $11,144 in taxes, plus Community Preservation Act funds collected for open space and recreation, affordable housing and historical preservation.

The addition of the 60 apartments, plus a pool and office/community building, brings those same lots to an assessed value of $4,274,000, though only a total of $4,141,900 is taxable since part of the property is now owned by the Sippican Lands Trust and is not taxable. Bay Watch Realty's current tax to the town is approximately $46,844.

The property tax will, of course, grow more once the additional houses are completed, though it cannot be assessed at the total value since the apartments are designated as affordable housing. Nine of the houses will be classified as affordable as well.

Marion Village Estates resident Gene Grant said he was unaware of the “affordable” designation when he and his wife looked at the apartments. The two retirees were just happy to find less expensive housing than the previous apartment they rented in Lakeville.

The Grants paid more than $1,500 a month just a few miles away and now pay less than $1,000.

“I don’t care how much money you have, it doesn’t last forever,” said Grant.

He said, so far, the two-bedroom apartment they rent has been great.

“We’re quite satisfied,” he said. Adding, “The people here, I find, are excellent.”

He said his neighbors were comprised of townies, including young professionals and families.

Grant said the management is working out kinks in their system, and he appreciated that they opened the pool after it was completed in August, even though there were only a few weeks left for kids to swim before the end of the season.

Next up is the construction of the 36 houses, which begins once the ground thaws this spring. Steen said some homes will be finished by the summer. A lottery will be advertised mid to late summer for the nine affordable housing structures, with Marion residents having the first pick, as they did for the apartments.

Steen said people can always apply for the apartments online at marionvillageestates.com.