Housing Headlines

CARLISLE --- Several years of conflicts between the Board of Selectmen and the Carlisle Housing Authority board finally ended this spring as Carlisle Town Meeting voted to abolish the board, which had resigned en masse last fall to emphasize the town's lack of progress on housing. The board managed no units but has been a voice in supporting affordable housing developments in concert with the town's housing trust and housing coordinator, a position that was eliminated from the town budget by selectmen about two years ago.

SAUGUS --- First, developers altered their plans to preserve the habitat of Spotted Tiger Beetles. Now, Toll Brothers may have to postpone its plans to build its 300-unit Saugus Ridge housing development because the state is recommending that an archaeological review be done to see if the site contains Native American artifacts.

AMHERST --- Residents voiced concerns about an apartment building that would feature 28 rooms for low-income individuals at a meeting held to discuss whether the town should use $500,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to support the project. Proposed by the Valley Community Development Corp., the project is also seeking a Ch. 40B comprehensive permit from the town.

WEYMOUTH --- Residents are pitching in to clean up common areas and movie star Ryan Reynolds has been shooting movie, but looming in Union Point's future is a $1 million common area and parkway maintenance annual expense that has been previously paid mostly by the ousted master developer.

FRAMINGHAM --- Noting that he's drafted 30 concept plans for remaking the struggling Nobscot Village strip mall, developer Andy Rose of Centercorp Retail Properties has unveiled a new proposal that calls for a mixed-use development with 152 apartments in two buildings and a CVS drug store potentially anchoring the commercial space.

At an April 29 town meeting, Lynnfield residents soundly struck down a proposal that would have allowed 56 units of senior housing. With concerns ranging from safety to school crowding, the proposal saw 340 votes against and only 174 votes in support.