Housing Headlines

SOUTHBOROUGH — In an unprecedented move, selectmen Thursday night voted 4-0 to hold a public hearing for the possible removal of Leo Bartolini from the Zoning Board of Appeals. the decision to have the hearing stems from two petitions filed with the town seeking to remove Bartolini, one centering on his handling of 40B decisions and the calling out Bartolini for his "sexist" treatment of women who comment at hearings.

WESTON --- Shouting at times, residents urged the Zoning Board of Appeals to take a had line with a developer's plan to seek a Ch. 40B permit from the town in order to build a 10-unit homeownership project on 2.95 acres, with two of the units set to be affordable. Resident were most concerned about environmental impacts, especially to abutting trees. The town hired an arborist who said the developer's changes to the project to address tree concerns were "substantive."

ARLINGTON --- Saying that the wait list for the 93 units in their portfolio is 1,000 people, Housing Corporation of Arlington Executive Director Pam Hallett defended her proposal to build 34 affordable apartments in Arlington Heights while residents questioned its size and impact on the neighborhood.

BOSTON --- Fenway neighbors last month made their voices heard about plans to build a 29-story mixed-use 295-unit building called Two Charlesgate West, saying the building will be too high and will stick out like a "sore thumb." According to the story, an undisclosed amount of units will be affordable, with 50 percent on site and 50 percent built elsewhere, in coordination with input from the Fenway CDC.

WEST TISBURY — Having gained approval from the planning board the week before, the Island Housing Trust's plan to build nine affordable units at Manter Field took another step forward earlier this month as special town meeting approved spending $900,000. The development, which will be located off Edgartown Road, will be a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units affordable to households at or below 80 percent of median income.

NEWTON -- Newton-based Northland Development has unveiled plans to develop 28 acres at the end of Needham St. near the Newton-Needham town line into a mixed-use development that would include 950 apartments, 175-square feet of office space and 200,000 square feet of retail space.The project would stretch from the corner of Oak and Needham streets (the former Clarks Shoes headquarters), up to Chestnut Street, and over to the Marshalls Plaza.