Housing Headlines

STONEHAM --- In the wake of the state's Housing Appeals Committee's rejection of town's challenge of a 264-unit housing proposal for Weiss Farm, first-term Selectmen Caroline Colarusso is seeking state action that would modify Ch. 40B. Selectmen took no action on Colarusso's suggestions, noting that there are several pieces of legislation already pending.

DEVENS -- Zoning changes approved by Town Meeting voters Monday will allow for up to 120 units of senior housing and new health-care usage opportunities in Shirley, but a top state economic-development official said the failure of one warrant article in Harvard could thwart biotechnology development at Devens.

MARLBOROUGH --- All signs point to the city council approving next week a change to its inclusionary zoning bylaw allow developers to pay at least $50,000 per unit instead of designating 15 percent of their units affordable in any multi-family project of 20 units or more.

DEVENS -- The Devens Enterprise Commission -- the one-stop permitting board for Devens redevelopment under the direction of MassDevelopment -- gave a green light this week to a 124-unit subdivision on Grant Road that will include both single-family homes and multi-unit rentals when the six-phase project is complete.

AMHERST --- CityLab.com, Atlantic Monthly's web site dedicated to stories about the people and policies that are creating cities of the future, focuses on Amherst and Ch. 40B to show how a law that is in place to overcome restrictive zoning can be met with stiff challenges, even in town's that have done a lot of affordable housing.

STOUGHTON --- Town Meeting failed to amend zoning of a business district to allow housing, which would've allowed Calarmar Enterprises of Buffalo to proceed with a 40B permit application in order to build 128 one- and two-bedroom units for seniors.