Housing Headlines

NORWELL --- The effort to turn the former police station into 18 mixed-income senior apartments has hit a snag as the nonprofit Metro West Collaborative has told town officials it will be unable to afford the $38,500 in yearly property taxes. It appears that to make the project move forward, Town Meeting will have to vote on whether to allow the nonprofit to make a smaller payment in lieu of taxes.

PROVINCETOWN --- The saga of developer Christopher Wise's attempts to turn the former Michael Shay restaurant site at Rte. 6A gateway to Provincetown into 13 condos continues with reports that two more buildings may have exceeded height lmitations. During the permitting process, residents voiced concerns about building height and even flew a drone over the site to show neighbors how high the buildings would be.

HAMILTON --- Reporter Tim McCarthy takes a look at Hamilton's exploration of a cottage housing ordinance that would allow, by special permit, construction of 800 to 1,500 square foot homes on single-family lots, with a limit of 4.5 homes per acre. McCarthy reports that 66 percent of 700 respondents to a town survey said yes to the idea but he also wrote "Hamilton may support the concept of cottage housing in the abstract, but how the town would react when presented with an actual project remains to be seen."

WORCESTER --- Following two hours of testimony centered mostly on the sad loss of a city landmark, the planning board voted to allow the former Notre Dame des Canadiens Church to be razed by Roseland Residential Trust to make way for a 84-unit mixed-use development with 84 residential units.

FRAMINGHAM --- Town boards charged with coming up with a plan to guide Framingham's future historic preservation efforts have recommended that the town adopt the Community Preservation Act, a local surcharge of up to three percent that can be used to fund historic preservation, open space and affordable housing. Over 40 percent of the state's communities have adopted the measure.

WAYLAND --- A proposal by Eden Management to turn a 6.5 acre site on Rte. 20 into a mixed-income development with 60 apartments have raised concerns from neighbors about additional traffic it will bring to the well-traveled two-lane route and side streets. A group that has started a ProtectWayland.org web site also noted the plan is too dense, doesn't fit the town's character and would harm nearby streams and wildlife.