Housing Headlines

SALISBURY --- The YWCA of Greater Newburyport took a big step forward recently with the groundbreaking on its plan to turn the former Spaulding School in Salisbury into 42 affordable apartments that will include units for the disabled, homeless, and extremely low-income.

WELLFLEET --- The planning board has an article in this spring's town meeting that would change the minimum land requirement of a once-used cluster development bylaw from 15 acres to 1.38 acres. The board, which OK'd the proposal by a 5-0 vote, said it was designed to create an incentive for developers with a minimum of 30 percent of the dwellings designated as affordable units. The incentive is for each affordable dwelling unit in the development, the developer would be allowed one additional unit above what's permitted.

LAWRENCE --- With school enrollment rising and more of the city's mills due to be revitalized into apartments, acting school Superintendent Mary Lou Bergeron voiced concern about the school system's ability to handle more students. Bergeron said the system has raised the cap on classroom sizes at some grade levels. Lawrence's enrollment is expected to jump to 15,500 by 2019, a 26 percent jump since 2012. Mayor Daniel Rivera, who has pushed for more commercial development in the mills, said he believes that most of the new housing being built in the mills will be rented by people already living in Lawrence, not by outsiders.

HANOVER --- A community meeting is being planned for April 26 so that the new owners of the Hanover Mall can discuss plans to build 297 apartments as part of a plan to revitalize the property. PECO Real Estate Partners (PREP) bought the property for $39.5 million in 2016 and were said to be looking at a variety of plans to revitalize the site. The owners will also provide residents with an update on the retail redevelopment of the property. The meeting will be held in the former J.C. Penney store, which closed in 2016.

MILFORD --- Owners of the 625,000 square foot Stone Ridge Center Business Park told local officials that turning part of their property into 272 apartments is key to bringing economic vitality to the property. Israel Lopez, managing director for the Gutierrez Company, told the Zoning Board of Appeals, is hoping to build the complex on 16.6 acres or 25 percent of the site. The company is seeking a Ch. 40B comprehensive land use permit from the town to proceed with the project.

MEDFORD --- Due to an increased demand for housing which has seen the city OK 13 "large-scale" residential or mixed-use developments since 2009, the city is contemplating several zoning changes, including an inclusionary zoning bylaw that wold require developers to include some affordable housing in their projects.