Wondering what Wellesley’s newly state-approved affordable housing production plan means for your neighborhood? You’re not alone.

In an April community meeting about the plan, residents were torn between the desire to avoid large, isolated developments and the desire to preserve the character of existing neighborhoods while accommodating 400-plus affordable units over the next decade.

Approved by the Department of Housing and Community Development last week, the plan intends to make progress toward the requirements of Chapter 40B, a state statute that promotes the development of affordable housing. Under the law, at least 10 percent of the town’s housing must be affordable, and Wellesley falls short at 6.33 percent, with only 575 of the minimum 909 units.

One of the plan’s goals is to create at least 45 subsidized units annually over the next five years “through local actions and approval of private development, especially development of rental housing units,” according to the plan. Similarly, the plan intends to create at least 400 such units by 2028.

What does this mean for Wellesley’s neighborhoods?

There are a few zoning districts where the town could encourage or require affordable units, according to the plan.

Near Route 128 and Route 9. This is known as the Administration and Professional District, which covers land near Route 128 and Route 9, including the 26-acre Wellesley Office Park. Multifamily housing is not currently allowed in the AP district, but the town could consider several strategies to change that, according to the plan.Wellesley Square. The Wellesley Square Commercial District includes the compact commercial village around Central Street, Church Street, Grove Street, Linden Street and Weston Road. With some changes to the district, the town could encourage upper-story units over storefronts, the plan notes.Near Linden Street, Washington Street and the Wellesley Hills train station. Wellesley’s General Residence District “needs to be overhauled,” according to the plan. This district includes neighborhoods around Wellesley Square and Linden Street, along Washington Street by Wellesley Avenue and in the vicinity of the Wellesley Hills train station. According to the plan, this area could be used to target the so-called “missing middle” housing — multi-unit housing in scale with single-family homes, such as dual-occupancies. However, this would require some changes to town regulations.Lower Falls and beyond? The Residential Incentive Overlay District applies to portions of the districts north of Washington Street in the Lower Falls area and allows multifamily development in what are otherwise non-residentially zoned neighborhoods. To date, the only developer to have used this is National Development, for construction of the Waterstone at Wellesley. The town should consider other locations where this type of overlay could apply and evaluate whether the overlay’s provisions should be updated to make it a more usable tool, according to the plan.

Why does it matter?

In the Boston Metro area, the wage necessary to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment is $33.46 per hour, according to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition. While this may not seem unreasonable to some Wellesley residents, it’s far more than many retail, food service or health care employees in town can afford, the plan points out. A retail worker making the Massachusetts minimum wage of $11 wouldn't be able to afford most of these two-bedroom housing options on their own.

And while many residents say Wellesley is already too built-out, there are ways to repurpose existing buildings or redevelop underutilized properties, the plan asserts.

The town’s Zoning Board of Appeals is already considering five comprehensive permit applications with a combined total of 228 mixed-income housing units. There are still more projects that have either received eligibility determinations or are anticipated to receive them soon, according to the plan.

Because Wellesley falls short of the required 10 percent affordable units, the town is vulnerable to “unfriendly” 40Bs, or developments over which Wellesley would have little control.

By following the plan in producing at least 45 affordable units annually, Wellesley may eliminate that threat and, in turn, have more local control over future 40B proposals.