Housing Headlines

NEWTON --- In a March feature for Boston Magazine, reporter and Newton resident Lauren Gibbons Paul goes in depth on how a plan to turn an old firehouse into housing for the homeless turned neighbor against neighbor, and ultimately resulted in the city lifting a restriction so the property could be developed into luxury condos.

NORWELL --- The local housing trust's plans to turn the old police station into 14 units of affordable housing hinges on the May 4 town meeting, where residents will vote on whether to transfer the building to the trust, the American Legion or to put the property up for sale.

MARLBOROUGH --- Arguing that more than 10 percent of the town's housing is affordable, the lawyer for a developer who is proposing to build 60 townhouse condominiums is asking the city to let the developer pay $450,000 rather than include nine affordable units in the project. The city has an inclusionary zoning bylaw that requires all developments over 20 units to have 15 percent of units affordable but the developer is asking the city to amend this bylaw.

PROVINCETOWN --- After voting down to measures to buy land for affordable housing on the first night of town meeting, voters came back on the second night and voted down an article that proposed to transfer $1.1 million from the town's land bank fund to the CPA fund so it could also be used for affordable housing. During the discussion, one voter argued in favor of the measure by saying, "We need housing like we need oxygen."

HARVARD --- A super town meeting involving voters in Harvard, Shirley and Ayer will be set for later this year to allow residents to vote on a proposal by MassDevelopment to alter zoning so that senior housing can be built on the former Fort Devens army base site.

GRAFTON --- Selectmen have voted to direct the town administrator to work with town counsel to rewrite a town meeting article to specify that funds from a $1.3 million settlement with a developer over excess profits realized in a Ch. 40B development are deposited into the town's housing trust and not its general fund.