Housing Headlines

HINGHAM - The town will now have to consider Avalon Bay's 177-unit Ch. 40B proposal after the state Housing Appeals Committee ruled that only 25 percent of the units at the Linden Ponds retirment community are affordable, keeping the town affordable unit count under the 10 percent necessary to deny 40B applications.

BOSTON --- The Citizen's Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) is kicking off a second phase of its Welcome Home campaign to promote affordable housing development with a technical assistance grant program that offers $2,500 grants to communities to help advance a specific development proposal or to promote a better environment for advancing an affordable housing agenda.

WAREHAM --- A local developer who is representing the nonprofit Community Development & Mortgage Alliance Corp. has proposed to turn the notorious White Pines Motel site into 24 units of affordable housing. Developer Bob Minichielli told the town's affordable housing trust that the project would feature 12 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom apartments. White Pines Motel was the scene of a stabbing last year in which two men were killed. After this incident, the property was foreclosed after authorities discovered that the owner John D'Italia did not have a valid license to operate and owed $65,000 in taxes.

DORCHESTER --- For the past few years, efforts by the City of Boston to stabilize properties on Hendry St. have been threatened by a house at the end of the street. Following the arrest of some 30 individuals for gang and drug activity on Hendry and nearby Woodward St., Dorchester Reporter correspondent Adam Gaffin uses police reports to detail what was going on at 37 Hendry St.

SOUTHBOROUGH --- Developer William Depietri has told the town of his plan to build 180 condominiums, a quarter of which would be affordable under income guidelines, near the Red Roof Inn off Rte. 9 near the junction of Rte. 495. In a letter to the town, Depietri said he would by asking the town to grant him a Ch. 40B comprehensive permit to build The Residences at Park Centra, which would consist of 120 two-bedroom and 60 one-bedroom condos in five buildings.

BRIGHTON --- The Sebastian Mariscal Studio recently filed a proposal with the city to construct a new, five-story apartment building with ground-floor retail space at the corner of North Beacon and Everett streets. The building would contain 44 units with nine studios, 15 one-bedroom units, 17 two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units. Six of the 44 units will be designated as affordable. The developer hopes to start construction in early 2014.