Housing Headlines

BEVERLY --- The City of Beverly's plans to work with the nonprofit Harborlight Community Partners on building affordable housing has taken another step forward as the city has filed paperwork with the state about its intentions to rezone a site at the corner of Tozer and Sohier roads as a Smart Growth Overlay District that could result in 60 to 80 affordable apartments for the community. This type of zoning change requires approval from the local governing body.

MEDFIELD --- Building on the momentum of town meeting's approval, selectmen have appointed six people to the town's new Affordable Housing Trust. Medfield created the trust in hopes of making more progress toward having 10 percent of its housing affordable. The trust is being funded by an initial $1 million generated from a June tax override.

SHERBORN --- Reporter Sarah Freedman does a rundown on four developments that are seeking Ch. 40B land use permits from the town's Zoning Board of Appeals . The permits will allow the developers - Ben Stevens of Trask Inc. for three of them and Vin Gately of Heritage Properties - to build multi-family housing. All told, the proposals total 144 homes.

WAYLAND --- Developer Chris D'Antonio's plans to turn a rundown single-family property into 12 townhouses were finally unveiled before the Zoning Board of Appeals, which will weigh whether to grant the project a Ch. 40B land use permit. If granted, three of the units would be affordable. The project is known as Windsor Place and it has already attracted a lot of reaction from residents, who are concerned about impacts on the small neighborhood in the Cochituate section of the town.

WALTHAM --- Mayor Jeannette McCarthy's call for a multifamily moratorium after a 10-alarm fire gutted a partially-completed apartment building will have to wait as a City Council committee voted to table the recommendation. McCarthy said the fire did influence her request but added she's been concerned for some time about too much development, based on feedback from residents.

BOSTON --- The House recently gave initial approval to a proposal by Housing Committee Chair Kevin Honan that would make it easier for communities to adopt special smart growth zoning districts. Right now, the state's smart growth law - known as 40R - requires a two-thirds vote of a local legislative body, such as a city council or town meeting. Honan's bill would change that requirement to a majority vote. Cities or towns adopting such districts -- which can be sited in areas near transit or concentrated development -- are entitled to state incentive payments. Thirty eight communities have adopted the legislation thus far.