Housing Headlines

PROVINCETOWN --- Needing more funds to fully convert a bankrupt 28-unit former time-share property into year-round market rate housing, the Select Board considered and then postponed a decision on whether to divert inclusionary housing fees from its affordable housing trust into its market-rate trust, which is responsible for managing Harbor Hill, the timeshare property that the town bought in 2018.

NORTHAMPTON --- A report commissioned by the City of Northampton and designed to identify barriers to affordable housing found that 38 percent of the city's renters are spending more half their income on housing. The report, done by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, details 16 barriers to housing access and identifies several solutions to address them,

BOSTON --- The real estate group that owns several Morrissey Boulevard properties adjacent to the old Boston Globe plant has filed plans to turn the former WB-56 television studio property into two 17-story apartment towers with over 600 units of housing. The letter of intent filed by David Raftery of Center Court Partners is a scaled down version of a plan Center Court filed in 2018 calling for buildings of 24 and 21 stories.

STERLING --- Citing past expenditures to fix its historic town hall and purchase land for open space, town officials are once again discussing whether to ask voters to adopt the Community Preservation Act, which would allow the town to impose a surcharge to create funds to use for open space, historic preservation and affordable housing. During this recent discussion, town officials brought in MHP Senior Program Manager Shelly Goehring, who showed examples of how towns have used CPA for housing and how the adoption of a Municipal Affordable Housing Trust can help towns use CPA funds more efficiently and effectively. Goehring helps towns form trusts and forming a trust is one of the recommendations in Sterling's recently completed Housing Production Plan.

WOBURN --- Boston-based Hamilton Company has reportedly paid $59.5 million for an East Milton site and plans to move forward with a 72-unit proposal that has been previously OK'd by the city with a Ch. 40B comprehensive permit. The purchase is being done in tandem with Hamilton's purchase of the adjacent 181-unit Country Club Garden Apartments.The new housing will reportedly put Woburn's supply of affordable housing over 10 percent, giving it greater control over future 40B permit requests.

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has upheld a previous land court ruling in favor of a 64-unit affordable housing proposal off Fairgrounds Road. Known as Ticoma Green, the Nantucket Planning Board approved the development two years ago but three residents - represented by Attorney Dan Hill - appealed the decision, arguing hat the project violated the workforce-housing provisions of the town’s zoning bylaw, did not comply with storm water and screening requirements, and was not reviewed to the appropriate degree.