Housing Headlines

WELLESLEY --- The manager of a 40B condominium complex developed for people age 55 and over on Route 9 wants to ease the age restriction to widen the field of potential buyers. To date, only four of 21 market rate units have been sold.

BOSTON --- After 15 years at the Allston-Brighton Community Development Corporation, Bob Van Meter is leaving the non-profit organization to become executive director of the Local Initiative Support Corporation's Boston office. Associate Director Mary-Helen Nsangou has been named Van Meter's successor.

WEST BRIDGEWATER --- Two selectmen say Easton developer Nick Mirrione's attempts to push through a pair of 28-unit cottage-housing developments for first-time homebuyers defies the will of residents and hurts senior citizens of limited means.

NORTON --- With the zoning board's OK of the 176-unit Turtle Crossing 40B development proposal, 10 percent of Norton's housing will be affordable, giving the town control over whether to permit future 40Bs. The project was seen to have little impact on schools since all units are two bedrooms and was viewed as badly needed housing for faculty and staff at Wheaton College.

BOSTON --- A local developer has filed plans to build 1.3 million square feet of apartments, shops, and parking that will deck the Massachusetts Turnpike near Fenway Park. The effort will include 282 apartments, including 28 affordable units in addition to 14 affordable units off-site.

WEST TISBURY --- The town has filed a complaint against a Texas-based mortgage company to safeguard the affordability covenant of a home, after its former owner foreclosed on a sub-prime adjustable mortgage. By the time of foreclosure, the home's mortgage balance was more than two and a half times the original mortgage and more than twice the maximum resale price allowed in the property deed's affordable housing covenant.