Housing Headlines

NORTHAMPTON --- Plans for the residential development of the former Northampton State Hospital hinge on the planning board and city council's approving the creation of a smart growth overlay district. The project has received preliminary approval from the city council but still needs the OK of the planning board before going back to the council for a final OK. If approved, the overlay district will divide the 16 acres into two sub-zones, one for 10 single-family detached homes and the other for 140 apartments and attached town houses.

SHREWSBURY --- Selectmen approved AvalonBay's proposal to build a 400-unit apartment complex, designating it as a local initiative project (LIP) or friendly 40B, thus allowing the town to receive $3.9 million in mitigation funds and have a say along with local businesses in the design and other aspects of the project.

NATICK --- The town's Housing Overlay Option Plan (HOOP) is beginning to produce housing as a second project --- 24 condos --- is slated to be ready by next fall. Natick adopted HOOP in order to allow for denser housing near downtown and the commuter rail.

WAYLAND --- The zoning board of appeals granted a comprehensive permit for developers to begin construction on a 16-unit 40B effort. Though only 25 percent of the units are required to be affordable, all of the units at the Nike Site project will be sold at either 70 or 100 percent of the area median income. In addition, 12 acres of adjacent open space will be converted into parkland.

PROVINCETOWN --- A housing lottery is being held to sell 12 newly constructed 'green' affordable housing units just off Route 6. It is the first of six housing efforts underway on the Cape that will benefit from a $1.5 million grant provided by the Cape Light Compact and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) for combining affordable housing with energy-saving technologies. The effort also received over $700,000 from the town's Community Preservation Act funds.

BOURNE --- The development team for Canalside Commons, a 300-unit affordable housing and retail complex, is placing finishing touches on its proposal before submitting it to the appeals board for review. In addition to traffic considerations, the Zoning Board of Appeals is considering raising the number of affordable units required in the project.