Housing Headlines

WORCESTER --- Allen Fletcher, a local businessman who is past president of the Canal District Alliance, is eyeing a key vacant parcel in the Kelley Square Canal District for the development of a four-story building that would include 48 market-rate apartments, a public market and a restaurant. The site has been vacant since 2011 when the former General Automotive Supply building was demolished.

After resident resistance thwarted Beverly-based Harborlight Community Partners attempts to develop affordable housing on behalf of selectmen and the Hamilton Affordable Housing Trust, Harborlight Executive Director Andrew DeFranza is still hopeful of developing some housing on two of the sites. Meanwhile in Wenham, Harborlight's attempts to build 60 senior apartments is still hung up in court as 12 abutters appealed the Wenham Zoning Board of Appeal's approval in 2015.

DORCHESTER --- Neighbors expressed concern about parking and traffic during a Saturday workshop in which a development team unveiled plans to transform the historic Port Norfolk neighborhood along the Neponset River in Dorchester into a mixed-use development with a small hotel, marina and 64 apartments spread out over two buildings.

LEXINGTON --- One year after residents of Lexington, Belmont and Arlington protested the idea of the Belmont Country Club selling a piece of its land for 345 units, National Development is taking a swing at the property, proposing to build 64 senior units on one of the parcels and 120 senior units on the other parcel, with some of the units designed for assisted living as well. The property is located in Lexington near the Belmont line.

LUDLOW --- The Zoning Board of Appeals will continue its public hearings on Way Finders' application for a Ch. 40B land use permit on June 14 at Ludlow High School. Way Finders, the Springfield nonprofit formerly known as HAPHousing, wants to build 43 units of affordable housing on a 5.5 acre site across from an elementary school on Fuller Street. Many residents object to the location while selectmen say that while they are in favor of affordable housing, they don't like it at this location. Only 3.48 of Ludlow's housing is considered affordable, below the 10 percent threshold the town needs to achieve safe harbor from 40B applications.

WINCHESTER --- Mill Creek Residential's rumored plans about seeking a Ch. 40B land use permit came to light recently as the developer unveiled preliminary plans for turning a Holton Street site near an active and noisy railway line into 300 to 400 units of mixed-income housing. The plans would include figuring out how to curtail the overnight noise caused by trucks taking freight from the trains, a nuisance neighbors have been complaining about for years.