Housing Headlines

QUINCY --- The Planning Board has OK'd Atlantic Development's plan to build 610 apartments, 50,000 square feet of commercial space and 1,600 parking spaces at the North Quincy MBTA station. Atlantic is partnering with Washington D.C.-based Bozzuto Group, and the developers plan to sign a 99-year lease with the T to build on the seven-acre site, which is now a parking lot.

SOUTHBORO --- An approved 180-unit housing proposal that is already being challenged by 20 residents has taken on another legal twist as Bill Depietri of Capital Group Properties is suing the Zoning Board of Appeals for turning over site plan review responsibility to the Planning Board.

FALMOUTH --- In its continuing efforts to figure out ways to add affordable housing for year-round residents, the Falmouth Planning Board is planning to re-draft its longstanding multi-family conversion bylaw which allows large single-family homes to be converted into as many as four apartments. The desire to amend the bylaw comes from a 2014 study that recommended that the bylaw be rewritten to make the redevelopment of existing housing less restrictive.

BOSTON --- An interesting angle to a July 7 story about the legal battle between Trinity Financial and Mass Pike Towers residents is that while the City of Boston supports the idea of tenant ownership, it also believes in having all revenues considered in the building's appraisal. Trinity and the tenants are in court over the sale price, with Trinity having rejected the tenants' $42 million offer as too far below an independent appraisal that pegged the value at $61 million.

FALMOUTH --- Stating that its approval with conditions was the best way to protect residents and gain a result that fits with the town, the Falmouth Zoning Board of Appeals ended months of contentious hearings by granting a Ch. 40B comprehensive land use permit that will allow a Westford-based company to build 104 apartments at the corner of Main Street and Lantern Lane. Included in the conditions was a waiver to let the developers build to a height of 50 feet - 15 feet higher than the town's maximum - providing the developer incorporate design changes suggested by the ZBA's consulting architect.

FRANKLIN --- The purchase, refinancing and preservation of affordability of Glen Meadow Apartments means that all 288 rental homes will go back on the state's affordable housing inventory list, pushing Franklin's official total supply of affordable housing over 10 percent. Franklin is now at 11.89 percent.