Housing Headlines

On the heels of a special report by Boston University on suburban resistance to three-bedroom apartments, the Boston Globe West edition follows up on the practice of towns getting developers to include fewer units for families in its multi-family development proposals.

MAYNARD --- After two working sessions with the town failed to produce consensus on how to redevelop a 58-acre former Digital property, Southborough developer William Depietri intends to seek a Ch. 40B comprehensive permit to build 317 apartments on 21 of the acres while still working with the town on how the former computer company property should be developed.

WESTFORD - Special town meeting shot down a proposal to set aside a 40-acre parcel of town-owned land for affordable housing, instead voting to designate the so-called "Edwards Parcel" as conservation land.

NORWELL --- After months of hearings, the town's zoning boad of appeals board has unanimously but reluctantly approved a 126-unit apartment complex. In its vote Wednesday night, the board attached more than 100 conditions, which cover everything from the height of the three proposed buildings to landscaping along the edges of the 17.5-acre site off Prospect Street near Simon Hill Road.

BOSTON --- The New England Center for Investigative Reporting takes a close look at the practice of towns limiting three-bedroom units and encouraging senior housing for multi-family development proposals so as to limit the fiscal impacts of adding families and children to the town's population.

NORTHAMPTON - With the aid of a $1.1 million acquisition loan from the state's Community Economic Development Assistance Corp. (CEDAC), the Valley Community Development Corp. is hoping to build some 60 units of affordable housing at the site of the former Northampton Lumber on Pleasant Street.