Housing Headlines

SUDBURY - Fire officials and Zoning Board of Appeals members at a Ch. 40B permit hearing have voiced concern about the safety of a planned Landham Road 120-unit, 35 acre apartment complex, criticizing the lack of a secondary access road. But Westborough developer Robert Moss said town's proposed requirements were above and beyond what similar developments have been built to in recent years.

HARVARD --- The story of the impending foreclosure of two town affordable housing properties took an interesting twist recently as the development company proposing to build housing at Devens took a look at the two properties. Trinity Financial President Jim Keefe said he agreed to see the Harvard Inn and Great Elms properties to better understand the situation. Trinity is in the midst of trying to convince three towns - Harvard, Shirley and Ayer - to OK its plans to build 246 units of housing at the former military base.

LOWELL --- Despite city council's demand that work inspections be done with state and federal officials present, the housing authority has begun tearing down walls and inspecting electrical, gas and plumbing work that was finished and sealed up without final approval of city building inspectors. In addition, the housing authority board voted unanimously at a recent meeting that a Lowell Sun reporter covering the issue cannot step on HA property without permission.

LEOMINSTER --- Construction work has begun on the adaptive reuse of a historic Whiting paper mill into 40 affordable rental homes. Developed by the Twin Cities CDC and funded with federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, the project has created over 100 jobs, according to the construction company hired to do the work.

MEDWAY --- Five months after town meeting OK'd using $433,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to create a local housing trust, the trust committee has hired a part-time housing coordinator to help the town take steps to increase its supply of affordable housing.

SOUTHBOROUGH - Town officials are unhappy that a housing financing agency has given its support to 140 apartments of proposed affordable housing on Rte. 9, saying they never received the full plans from the developer.