Housing Headlines

CONCORD --- With some residents questioning why the town is being asked to support an 83-unit development for seniors with $2 million in Community Preservation Act funds, town officials are reminding residents that if the development goes through, it will keep the town's percentage of affordable housing over 10 percent, the threshold needed to have greater control over developers seeking to override local zoning via Chapter 40B.

WORCESTER --- With a March 10 deadline having passed, it seems that four companies have signaled interest in redeveloping the Worcester County Courthouse. The four bidders are believed to be Oranmore Enterprises, Vision Development, Israel Real Estate Company and Trinity Development. Worcester Magazine has reported on details of the $35 million Oranmore bid, which is a mixed-use project calling for 330 market-rate apartments and commercial space.

BARNSTABLE --- In an effort to more effectively address homelessness on the Cape, the new chief executive of the Housing Assistance Corporation of Cape Cod (HAC) recently held a discussion with leaders from 20 social service agencies on how they can work together to provide housing and health-care related services. The meeting was organized by Alisia Galazzi, who recently replaced HAC founder Rick Presbrey. Galazzi previously served as chief operating officer at Gosnold, an addiction treatment center on Cape Cod. Prior to that she was executive director at Alzheimer's Services of Cape Cod and the Islands and development director for the Cape Cod Foundation.

MARLBOROUGH --- Fearing the city may not be able to handle the impact of more housing, the City Council and Planning Board have signed off on Mayor Arthur Vigeant's call for a six-month ban on special permits for home construction. Marlborough has approved more than 950 homes since 2010.

BRAINTREE – With the town's Zoning Board of Appeals set to begin hearings on what's believed to be the town's first Ch. 40B application in 14 years, Mayor Joseph Sullivan revealed Friday that the town's planning department has concluded that more than 1.5 percent of the town's land is being used for affordable housing, which if confirmed by the state would give Braintree safe harbor from Ch. 40B housing proposals. The news comes as the Holland Companies of Boston is set to begin ZBA hearings on a 70-apartment proposal for Braintree Square.

BILLERICA --- Alliance Residential's bid to apply to the town for a "friendly" Ch. 40B building permit took a key step forward recently as the Board of Selectmen voted 4-0 to support the 200-apartment proposal, with the understanding that the town would receive $350,000 in mitigation funds. The developers now must get approval from the town's Zoning Board of Appeals.